Published in the Oct. 1-14, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life

Raymond Escudero, IV, was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers on suspicion of driving while intoxicated soon after a 1 a.m. Aug. 30 car crash in southwest Morgan Hill. The accident killed Jason McArthur, 34, and put his fiancee, Kendra Jones, 42, in a hospital in critical condition with major injuries.

The couple got engaged only eight days before that tragic night they were driving in McArthur’s Jeep Wrangler northbound on Santa Teresa Boulevard just south of Native Dancer Drive. The Jeep was hit by Escudero’s Acura, causing both vehicles to lose control. The 24-year-old San Martin resident Escudero was uninjured, and his female passenger suffered minor injuries.

The tragedy will no doubt impact the families and friends of all four people involved in the crash.

If it turns out that Escudero was driving while intoxicated, the accident serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of getting behind the wheel after drinking.

The straight-forward statistics of mixing alcohol and road driving are sobering.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every day in the United States, an average of 28 people die as a result of drunken driving crashes. Every two minutes, a person is injured. On average, two in three people will be involved in a drunken driving crash in their lifetime. The yearly price tag for America is $132 billion.

But DUI accidents are more than statistics. Each crash, each person’s death, each physical impairment from injuries affects not only the individuals involved in the crash but a community as well. Family, friends, classmates and other people’s lives can be changed forever by a drunken-driving crash.

Underage-drinking and drunken driving accidents by people between 21 and 25 are particularly high compared with adult figures because this age group is more likely to engage in risky behavior, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The holiday season will soon start, a time when people in festive moods meet at parties and dinners to enjoy wine, beer and spirits. We encourage the enjoyment of alcohol during these occasions, but we also encourage it be done responsibly. If you intend to party with friends, choose someone who is responsible and designate them as the driver. If you and a group of friends decide to do some celebratory wine tasting in the South Valley region or participate in the Nov. 8 and 9 Passport Weekend wine tour of Santa Clara Valley, we recommend using a chauffeur service such as the popular California Passport Tour minibus.

Drunken driving is an irresponsible activity. Please consider your actions before turning the key in your car if you’ve been consuming alcohol.