Doctor, family settle crash-death suit

SANTA FE (AP) - A wrongful death lawsuit has been settled in the case of a girl killed when her family's van was hit by a vehicle driven by a Santa Fe surgeon.

The family of 4-year-old Yuliana Aremi Reyes Vasquez filed the lawsuit against Dr. Deborah Aaron and her insurance company in April 2012.

While neither side would disclose the settlement terms, the Albuquerque Journal reports court records indicate the settlement was approved last month.  

Authorities say Aaron's vehicle hit the passenger side of the family's van on Dec. 30, 2011, killing the girl. Her mother and 3-year-old sister were injured.

Authorities say blood-alcohol tests showed Aaron was legally drunk at the time of a crash. Witnesses couldn't agree which driver ran a red light before the crash, and Aaron ended up pleading no contest to DWI. 

Study brings DWI Offenders into focus

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A report released by the state Department of Health pinpoints the characteristics of the person most likely to be convicted of DWI in New Mexico.

According to the report a single, Hispanic male under 35-yearsld without a college education is the most common DWI convict in the state.

The DOH looked at 10 years worth of convictions and screening data 2000 to 2010.

The study also found 25 percent of convicted drunk drivers over the course of the decade were unemployed.

As for re-arrests, the report shows nearly 30 percent of those popped for DWI a second time were between 15-years-old and 24-years-old.

After DWI tragedy, life is bittersweet

Survivor now a mother, but memories still painful

LAS VEGAS, N.M. (KRQE) - After a drunken driver killed five members of a Las Vegas, N.M., family in 2006, the lone survivor of the accident and her grandparents found a new purpose in trying to spur the state Legislature to pass stronger anti-DWI laws.

But with nothing to show for those efforts after 6 1/2 years, the patriarch of the family said they feel victimized all over again.

“The liquor lobbyists are very powerful,” said Ray Collins, whose daughter, Renee, three granddaughters and son-in-law died in the crash. “And they control the legislation that’s going to pass and not pass.”

And while liquor industry lobbyists KRQE News 13 spoke to argued that raising taxes or limiting sales only hurt local businesses and don’t target the root problem of alcohol addiction, that provides little comfort to the family.

NM restaurant owner arrested for DWI

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A well know Albuquerque restaurant owner and civic leader has been arrested for drunk driving.
An Albuquerque police officer pulled Steve Paternoster over near San Mateo and I-40 about 9:30 Saturday night.
Paternoster who owns Scalo and La Provence in Nob Hill, is also CEO of the Central New Mexico YMCA.
Police say he tested between .18 and .20, which made the charge aggravated DWI.

NTSB wants DWI limit lowered

Published : Wednesday, 15 May 2013, 6:54 AM MDT

• Amanda Goodman

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday it would like to see states lower the legal drinking limit from .08 to .05.

NTSB Press Release

"There were almost 1,000 fatalities in the U.S. in 2011 involving drivers who had a BAC between .05 and .07," said NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman.

Sighting that and other statistics from a year long study, the NTSB recommended states reduce BAC limits.

"We know that drivers are significantly impaired at .05 there is no debate about that," Hersman said.

However, there is actually some debate about exactly that.