CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — 54-year-old Eutimio "Tim" Barrera was stopped on his motorcycle at a red light near SPID in Flour Bluff when Sarah Hoss hit him as she drunkenly drove down the wrong side of the intersection, Corpus Christi police said.
He was then taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. Barrera's family is shaken by their sudden loss.
"Tim was loved, and I think everybody knows that and everybody realizes, and that's the effect he had on everybody's life," said Tim Barrera's adopted brother Brandon Moreno.
Moreno is 10 years younger than Barrera, but he says they couldn't have been closer as they grew up.
"My brother is awesome, man,” Moreno said. “He gave us all something to enjoy. I’m so thankful that he was my brother."
In the meantime, Moreno and his family will celebrate his brother's life, but when the time comes for the driver's trial, they will be there to see justice be done.
"I personally feel everyone can be forgiven,” Moreno said, “that's the way we are as a family. But, consequences have to be paid and we want severe consequences to be paid because we're paying a price."
Hoss was arrested by Corpus Christi police, but bonded out of the Nueces County Jail on Tuesday. Her charges included a $500,000 bond for intoxication manslaughter and a $1,000 bond for unlawful carrying of a weapon. She is also required to wear a GPS monitor
Hoss did not stop when she hit him. The police report of the incident stated that after hitting Barrera, she continued to drive more than 800 feet with no sign of braking.
Nueces County First Assistant District Attorney Angelica Hernandez said that Hoss’ behavior is what is generally expected of intoxicated drivers.
Hernandez said, "They can't appreciate and comprehend the seriousness and the magnitude of what has just happened, and it takes them time to process it because they're intoxicated. And then all a sudden, down the road it hits them, and they come back to the scene."
Hernandez also said that in her experience, punishment for intoxication cases can be especially severe in Nueces County.
"Juries in Nueces County take those charges very seriously. And in every case that I’ve prosecuted involving those charges, it's always been a prison sentence." Hernandez said.
Hoss faces between two and 20 years in prison for her second-degree felony charge and a fine up to $10,000.
The DPS has reported a downward trend in DWI charges in the area over the years. However, according to Hernandez, that’s because Greg Abbott has been sending state troopers to other parts of the state, leaving less manpower in the Coastal Bend.
In contrast, the CCPD has reported an uptick in DWI charges compared to a year ago, a trend that Hernandez attributed to increasing drivers on the road since the end of public concern over COVID.