The parents of a young man killed by a drunk, distracted driver are urging people to be safe behind the wheel during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Benjamin Montalvo, 21, was killed in June of 2020. He was riding his bicycle in Corona when Naomi Velado, who was intoxicated and texting her boyfriend at the time, fatally struck him. KNX News’ Emily Valdez spoke to his mother, Kellie Montalvo.
“He was very friendly, he loved his family and had tons of friends, very outgoing,” she said.
Vellado didn’t stop after hitting Montalvo, but later turned herself in. She was sentenced to nine years in prison.
“She made horrible choices, and being on your phone, being intoxicated, being distracted behind the wheel of a car is a choice,” Kellie said. “Please choose differently.”
Benjamin’s parents are hoping that people listen to what happened to him and put away their phone.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
“It's not that important, that call, that text. You may think it's innocent enough, but just a fraction with your eyes off the road means you're distracted and someone can be killed,” Kellie said.
There were 3,522 people killed in 2021 in crashes where a driver was distracted, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
AAA is urging people to pull over if they need to call or text someone. A passenger can even make that call or send that text for you.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM