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Suspected drunk driver charged after crash kills 2
A recent college graduate and his friend were killed in Houston after their car was hit and caught fire in a crash caused by an alleged drunk driver, who has since been charged with two counts of murder.
DUNCANVILLE, Texas - Ronnie Burns' parents had just spoken to their son on Thursday. He was on the fence about whether to go to a fraternity picnic in Houston. He ended up going.
Hours later, his parents would learn that he had been killed by an alleged drunken driver.
What we know:
It was an overnight awakening no parent ever wanted to get.
Just after 2 a.m. on Saturday morning, Kimberly and Ronnie Burns got an automatic alert on her cell phone that said their son, 22-year-old Ronnie Burns II, had been involved in a car crash.
Burns, a Duncanville High School alum, had just graduated from Florida A&M and gotten a job in Atlanta.
He decided to drive to Houston, along with a fellow Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brother, Jayden Flemming, to attend the Texas Greek Picnic.
But his future was cut short, when according to a Harris County Constable, Burns' Lexus was struck by a drunken driver.
The impact caused Burns' car to catch fire, killing him and his friend.
The medical examiner notified Burns' parents.
What they're saying:
"I got that alert because he had me in his phone as an emergency contact," said Kimberly.
"We call, no answer. I call, no answer. Text? No answer, no response," said Burns’ father.
"He was really excited about starting this part of his life. Excited about his future," said Kimberly.
"That's when they told us that my baby was involved in a wreck. You know, he burned up. We're like, can we come get anything? Nothing for me to get of my baby," said Burns’ father.
The Burns family visited the crash site on Wednesday.
They said, while difficult, they are comforted by the outpouring of support.
One friend sent Burns' dad a recent video of his son.
"He's missed. He's missed already. Boy, he is missed." said the father.
Dig deeper:
That suspected drunk driver, 21-year-old Rene Hernandez, ran a red light and collided with Burns' Lexus, after fleeing from deputies who saw him crash into multiple cars, according to the constable's office.
This is video of Hernandez appearing before a judge in a wheelchair early Thursday morning, after being transferred to jail from a hospital.
Big picture view:
"We're Christians, we believe in forgiveness. We're thankful for the years that we had with our son, but he did he rob us of our son, of his life and legacy," said Kimberly.
"I want his legacy to be ‘take care of business’. You say you are going to do it. Do it," said Burns' father.
And as for Burns' legacy…
"And have fun. He was going to have fun. He's going to do that," the parents say.
What's next:
His parents told FOX 4 that he worked hard and played hard.
Hernandez faces two counts of murder.
His next court date is set for August 21.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from an interview conducted by FOX 4's Alex Boyer.