DENTON, Texas — The last photo Alvaro Romero has of his brother-in-law and next door neighbor, Douglas Gonzalez, was from Dec. 23.
It was a picture of Gonzalez’s 47th birthday celebration in El Salvador, his home. Gonzalez and Romero were there to watch their favorite soccer teams play.
“It’s like an emptiness in my heart knowing that I’m not going to get to see him anymore,” Romero told WFAA.
Just after 3 a.m. Saturday, a Denton officer noticed a Dodge Charger driving on I-35E with no headlights. Denton police said when the officer turned on the emergency lights, the driver sped up, going more than 100 miles per hour.
“No lights,” said Romero. “There was no way to tell if there was a car coming or what.”
Romero, Gonzalez, and Romero’s wife were coming back from the casino. Romero was sitting in the passenger seat, and his wife was driving. Gonzalez was sleeping in the backseat.
“[Gonzalez] was sleeping on the backseat with his head behind the driver’s side,” Romero told WFAA.
The speeding Charger hit them.
“We did so many spins,” Romero said.
The impact knocked them off the interstate and onto the service road near White River Lane.
“My wife kept making a noise. I lost air a little bit. Then I checked on her. She was like check on Douglas,” Romero said. “I kept grabbing his head, and his head just kept going down.”
Romero said the officer rushed to begin CPR on Gonzalez, but he did not make it.
“It’s indescribable what he took away from us,” Romero said.
Denton police believe the driver of the Charger, 18-year-old Jonathan Vargas, was intoxicated.
“Don’t drink and drive guys. Don’t do it,” Romero said. “That kid, he’s alive. He’s fine, but he took away the life of a great father, son, friend, brother, a great guy.”
The husband and father of four had plans to return to El Salvador, so a GoFundMe was started to support the family and return his remains.
“We talked about that we didn’t want to die over here,” Romero said.
It is a final wish that his family is making sure happens.
“His laugh, the way his was, the type of person he was, that’s always going to be that point in my heart that he’s always going to be there no matter what. It will always stay there,” Romero said.
Vargas was arrested and is in the City of Denton Jail. He faces charges of Intoxication Manslaughter and Evading Arrest/Detention with Vehicle Causes Serious Bodily Injury or Death. His bond has not been set yet.