Repeat DUI Offender [Vishnu Persaud ] Murders 2 Youths [Joshua Batista and Nastasha Vargas] and Hospitalizes 4 Others

Vishnu Persaud (the murderer): "I messed my whole life up”

Vishnu, what about the two innocent people you killed? Maybe you should have thought ahead when you were arrested for drunk driving the first time AND maybe the judge should have taken away your license or put you in the slammer. If we had strong laws and respectable judges Joahua and Nastasha would still be alive.

I'm disgusted!


MARION COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

five-vehicle accident killed two people, injured four, including Persaud, and left another three people uninjured. It claimed the lives of Joshua L. Batista, 20, of Ocala, and Nastasha M. Vargas, 22, of New York.

"The people who were killed, how old were they?" Persaud, 35, asked as he inspected the report. He asked who the victims were, where they were from and what the injuries were. He was sitting at the Marion County Jail, wearing a red-and-white uniform and flip-flops, following his arrest on drunken-driving charges.














"All I can say is I'm sorry. There’s nothing I can do or say to make it better," Persaud said. "Whatever I got to do I will do."

He said: "[I] messed my whole life up.”


Making his first court appearance via video Wednesday morning, he stood in front of County Judge Sarah Ritteroff Williams. He is charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter, two counts of driving while license suspended or revoked involving a fatal crash, two counts of DUI with serious injuries, and DUI with property damage.

After the brief court hearing, Persaud admitted drinking, but declined to say where.

Based on a breath test, FHP officials reported a blood alcohol level of .33, which is more than four times the .08 legal limit for drivers. It's not his first DUI case. Five years ago, while Persaud was on probation for DUI, he was arrested again - and later convicted - for leaving the scene of a crash and driving while license was suspended or revoked.

Persaud was booked in the jail at 1:18 a.m. Wednesday, after first being taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center.

According to the FHP, the victims included: Andrew T. Santiago, 20, of Umatilla, who was seriously hurt and was taken to Shands at the University of Florida, and Samantha K. Walker, 22, and Angelia E. Esposito, 17, both of Belleview, who suffered minor injuries and were taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center.

Sebastian Del Rio, 18, and Eduardo Del Rio, 44, both of Ocala, were involved in the crash but reportedly had no injuries. Paul F. Webb, 50, of Fort McCoy, also was not injured.

FHP officials said a 2008 Nissan Titan driven by Persaud was speeding in the inside lane heading east on Maricamp Road, while the second vehicle, a 1994 Saturn, driven by Santiago, also in the inside lane, was slowing down for traffic that had stopped ahead of them. Also slowing down was a 1998 Oldsmobile driven by Walker.

The fourth vehicle, a 1995 Honda van, driven by the elder Del Rio, was heading east in the outside lane, and the fifth vehicle, a Dodge pickup truck was in the outside lane, stopped for traffic.

Troopers said the Titan rear-ended the Saturn, pushing it forward, and it struck the back of the Oldsmobile. The Saturn rotated clockwise off into the grassy median and rolled over before stopping.

The Oldsmobile rotated clockwise and into the outside lane, where it hit the rear of the Dodge pickup truck. The Oldsmobile stopped in the roadway, while the Dodge truck stopped not far away from the Oldsmobile in the grassy median on the opposite side of the roadway.

The Titan, officials say, rotated counter-clockwise after hitting the Saturn and crossed into the outside lane, where it rear-ended the Honda van.

The Titan stopped in the middle of the roadway, while the van ended up on the same side of the Dodge pickup truck not far away.

Batista and Vargas, who were in the Saturn, were killed. The Del Rios, who were in the van, were not injured, while Esposito, who was riding with Walker in the Oldsmobile, had minor injuries.

FHP records show the deaths are the 75th and 76th fatalities for the year in Marion County, and the first traffic deaths for the month of November.

Teen Kelly Tracy Killed by 3-Time DUI Offender [and Illegal Immigrant] Manuel Contreras-Galdean

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Memorial Fund Info, Please Help!
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Below Article by Jeffrey Javier - Nov. 17, 2008 07:00 AM
The Arizona Republic














Kelly Tracy was filled with musical talent. She played numerous percussion instruments from the xylophone to the timpani in the Highland High School marching band. She also performed on the flute and guitar, and dabbled with piano. She composed her own worship songs for the City of Grace Church in Mesa.

She dreamt of going to college in Australia to become a pastor, Kelly's mother, Cindy Tracy said.

The teen's dreams were cut short Saturday because of fatal injuries she suffered in a car crash on her way to perform with her marching band in the Gilbert Days Parade.

Sgt. Ed Wessing, a Mesa police spokesman, said Manuel Contreras-Galdean, 32, was driving impaired at about 6:30 a.m. when he turned a red Dodge Ram left in front of a Nissan Sentra carrying Kelly and her brother, Matthew who was driving. Their collision at Guadalupe and Sossaman roads was nearly head-on. Matthew was sent to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Kelly was transported to the hospital where she died of serious head trauma.

Contreras-Galdean was arrested and charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault. Authorities also placed an immigration hold on him after it was determined that he is in the country illegally.





















Family and friends couldn't believe what happened.

"She was a beautiful person and full of talent," Cindy Tracy said. "She loved people and cared about them and she was very devoted to God."

The City of Grace Church held a service Saturday night for the family and since then support has been coming from other band families and community members.

By Sunday afternoon a small make-shift memorial formed outside Highland High School, a mile west of the crash site. Next to a side entrance, some 50 feet from the marching band's trailer, was a photo of Kelly, her long blond hair pulled halfway back as she played a xylophone. Next to the picture, a burning candle and a teddy bear with a black Highland High baseball cap. "In Memory of Kelly Tracy" was written in blue on white paper and taped to the brick exterior of the building. Kelly was a Highland High sophomore.

"It's so hard to believe that she was killed," said Maureen Allison, a drumline mom and vice president of the Highland High Marching Band Boosters. "It shouldn't have happened."

Allison said she is organizing other band parents to cook dinner for the family for a month. She is also asking for donations such as toilet paper, milk and bread for visiting family members.

As a band and drumline mom, Allison remembers Kelly's personality.

"She was just the sweetest young lady anyone could ever meet," Allison said. "If someone was in a bad mood she would turn it into a good mood."

A memorial fund has been set up through Washington Mutual and Chase banks to pay for funeral costs, and a memorial service will also be held at 11 a.m. Fridayat the City of Grace Church, 655 E. University Drive, in Mesa.

Kelly's friends remember her as the positive friend anyone could get along with.

Ethan Baxley, 18, spent most of his day with Kelly's family. He knew Kelly through her brother Matthew and remembers her positive attitude.

"The thing I remember most about her was her smile," Baxley said. "She was open and welcome to anyone, and she had a positive attitude she would bring anytime and anyplace."

Reporters Beth Duckett, Megan Boehnke and Lindsey Collom contributed to this story.

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Two Teen Brothers Killed by "Hit and Run" Drunk Driver Enrique Coronado

Two teenaged brothers were killed and a third brother injured when a suspected drunk driver crashed a pickup truck into their car at a Chula Vista intersection.

The crash killed 18-year-old Daniel Spickerman, 16-year-old Jason Spickerman and injured a third brother. They lived in Chula Vista.

















The collision occurred when a GMC pickup truck travelling west on Main Street collided with a Mitsubishi Galant at Brandywine Avenue, Chula Vista police spokesman Bernard Gonzales said.

The driver of the pickup initially fled the scene, but was caught a short distance away, Gonzales said.

Enrique Coronado, 31, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, felony hit and run and driving without a license, according to Gonzales. Homicide charges are pending.

UPDATE:

Enrique Coronado, 31, of San Diego pleaded not guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter, suspicion of drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Authorities arrested him following the crash around 11:30 p.m. last Friday. Three brothers were in a Mitsubishi Galant when a GMC pickup slammed into them on Main Street and Brandywine Avenue in Chula Vista, officials said. The crash killed Daniel Spickerman, 18, of Chula Vista. His brother Jason, 16, was declared brain dead. A third brother survived. Rescue crews had to pry the boys out from the wreckage.

Officials said Coronado ran from the crash but returned one hour later for his wallet and was arrested.

Prosecutors said Coronado has one-strike against him -- a robbery conviction. He has also been convicted of selling marijuana and was arrested for immigrant smuggling. The defense attorney said all of those charges are more than eight years old.

The judge ordered Coronado held on $1 million.

Nearly two dozen family members -- both foster relatives and biological relatives -- packed the courtroom for the hearing. Among them, the third brother who survived the wreck.

Foster brother Tino Murguia said, "It was kind of a scary feeling for the first time to see him, but a little bit of relief to know we can put a face with this incident as well. We just loved those kids, they were so happy -- just happy to be around people and so cheery all the time -- so it's really a devastating loss for the whole family."

The boys biological brother Edgar Spickerman said the boys, "had so many dreams, so many goals. All their friends loved them, our family loved them, foster family loved them -- any parent would be proud to have em as little kids."

The organs of the 16-year-old victim were removed for donation at his foster parents' request, according to a published report. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Tuesday Jason Spickerman's organs were given to six people including a baby.

"We're very happy he was able to save six lives. He's a hero and that's the way we're going to remember him," said Murguia.

According to the prosecution, Coronado had been drinking in Tijuana that night. They also alleged he was drinking while in line waiting to enter the border crossing. Authorities said he had a 1.5 blood alcohol level when he was arrested.

His preliminary hearing was set for February.