Dallas 16 Year Old Killed by Drunk Driver; Holiday Crashes Spiking

Victim Described as Kind and Driven

Taurean Babcock was a Duncanville High School student who aspired to become an air traffic controller. Friends describe the 16 year-old teen as being kind and driven. During an interview with Fox4 Dallas Fort-Worth, one of Taurean’s friends recounts a poignant moment in world history class just weeks ago. The class was involved in a discussion about thankfulness, during which Taurean responded that he was thankful for life because life’s the greatest gift of all.”

Tragically, early Saturday morning, Taureen’s life was taken by a drunk driver.

Taureen and a friend were driving his mom’s Mercedes to grab a late-night bite to eat. As Taureen passed through the intersection of Camp Wisdom and Clark Road in Duncanville, a man driving a white Nissan ran the red light and plowed into the Mercedes.

The Nissan spun out of control. The car ripped through a utility pole and then tore through the storefront of a donut shop, shattering the plate-glass window and coming to rest inside the store. Fortunately, no costumers were there or this already tragic story could have been even worse.
Taureen died at the scene of the accident. His friend, thankfully, sustained only minor injuries, but will likely suffer the emotional scars of this day for a very long time. The four occupants of the Nissan, including the driver, were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. The driver was charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Yet again, a drunk driver has caused unspeakable devastation. Instead of celebrating Christmas, Taurean’s family and friends mourn the untimely and unnecessary loss of their loved one. In fact, our whole community has lost a smart, promising young man.

Don’t Turn Your Holiday Celebration into a Tragedy: Don’t Drink and Drive

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(N.H.T.S.A.) released statistics comparing numbers of daily DUI traffic deaths between 1982 and 2006 during Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the
rest of the year. Drunk driving fatalities spiked every year on
Christmas and on New Year’s Eve. During the five-year span of 2001 to
2005, approximately 36 people died each day in a DUI crash. That number
shot up to 45 on Christmas and to 54 on New Year’s Eve.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of celebration. By getting
behind the wheel after drinking too much alcohol, that celebration can
quickly degenerate into a horrific tragedy. Taurean’s friend puts it
plainly: “It’s not worth it.”

Get the Help You Need If a Drunk Driver Injures You or Your Loved One

I support MADD because I want to help families avoid the pain
that is caused by drunk drivers. If a drunk driver has injured you or
your loved one, I will fight hard to help you achieve justice. Call Berenson Law Firm at 817-885-8000 for a free consultation.

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