EGN NEWS DESK
Moments earlier than his 14-year-old daughter was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver, her father had a type of emotions of concern that folks get out of the blue.
“I’d all the time need her to examine in with me and to remain in contact, and it’s humorous how we really feel issues, however proper round 6:45 p.m. I despatched her a message that I felt anxious, how are you? Are you OK? And I didn’t hear again till a few hours later,” Fillmore Smiley stated.
His daughter — Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley of Rialto — had been struck final Saturday, May 25 by a automotive pushed by Joseph Alcazar, 30, of Fontana, who has since been charged with second-degree homicide. The time of the collision at Balboa Boulevard and Palm Street was about 6:45 p.m.
As he was awaiting additional information about what would occur subsequent after being alerted to the collision, Smiley stated his daughter’s Snapchat response popped up in his telephone with merciless irony.
“I believed for a second she was alive,” Smiley stated.
She was about to graduate eighth grade and go on to highschool, her father stated.
Smiley, a medical therapist who helps addicts, stated he doesn’t need his daughter to be simply one other statistic. So he and his household will collect on the scene of the crash Saturday, June 1, to tout reform for impaired drivers.
“So I work with addicts and alcoholics day by day,” Smiley stated. “Anyone can get one DUI and anybody can have an oops and so they’ll by no means do it once more, however while you get the second DUI, you’re an alcoholic.”
Alcazar had been twice busted for driving drunk, which is why he’s dealing with homicide as an alternative of manslaughter expenses. The distinction between the 2 is a life sentence versus a set time behind bars.
“I’m going to speak a bit about Rose and likewise advocate for adjustments within the regulation,” Smiley stated.
He believes that getting remedy to impaired drivers upfront will do a greater job reducing down on recidivism and the lethal DUIs than a troublesome jail sentence will.
With a primary or second DUI, drivers must be ordered to bear a yr of outpatient remedy and necessary attendance at 12-step conferences, Smiley stated.
“I additionally assume there must be necessary jail time for first-time offenders,” he stated. “I feel first-time offenders get off straightforward. They don’t take it critically sufficient. And compelled remedy works.”
By the third DUI, “there must be jail time. If you get to a 3rd, you don’t get it,” Smiley stated.
“We need folks to know who Rose was and we don’t need her to be a statistic,” Smiley stated. “We need folks to grasp what a tremendous, vibrant, feisty, witty, clever, lovely individual she was. Every mother or father thinks their youngster was particular, however Rose was really particular. My girlfriend was like, ‘I by no means met anybody like Rose.’ “
Rose had creative and musical expertise her father needed to nurture.
“She preferred artwork quite a bit,” he stated. “For some time we had her doing piano classes, however that modified over the pandemic and he or she by no means went again into it once more.”
Instead, she informed her dad and mom, she was extra involved in hanging out together with her buddies, her father stated.
“Rose is far more of a social butterfly,” he stated. “We had a home full of children quite a bit.”
