Anna Caplan
Police say the wrong-way driver involved in a early Sunday morning crash that killed a beloved high school coach and left his wife in a coma has been charged with intoxication manslaughter.
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The suspect, 51-year-old Gerardo Gonzalez Luna, is hospitalized following the crash, which killed Adrian Byrd, 34, a football coach at Heights High School. Byrd’s wife, Veronnia, 35, is in a coma.
Luna registered a blood-alcohol level (.284) of more than three times the legal limit (.08). If he is convicted of intoxication manslaughter, he faces a possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
In a press conference Monday, the vehicular crimes chief of the Harris County District Attorney’s office, Sean Teare, hoped to raise awareness about the horrific outcomes of such events.
“When an accident occurs with a wrong-way driver on a freeway, they’re horrific,” Teare said. “Anything that can help stop these crashes or minimize them, we’re all in favor of it.”
Meanwhile, the outpouring of love and support for the Byrd family has been palpable.
RELATED: Nine injured, including seven children, in southeast Houston crash
The Houston ISD said via Twitter, “Our hearts go out to the Heights High School community, which is mourning the loss of track coach Adrian Byrd today. #WeAreHISD.”
