Family Of Man Killed On Thanksgiving Warns Of Dangers Of Drunk Driving
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GARLAND (CBSDFW.COM) - The family of a man killed Thanksgiving morning by a suspected drunk driver spoke Saturday to urge others not to drink and drive.
Samuel Guzman, 41, died filling his truck's gas tank on the side of the road on the President George Bush Turnpike near Firewheel Town Center.
Guzman was on his way home about five minutes away in Sachse, when his truck ran out of gas. He needed assistance filling his truck up.
After finding a tank of gas in his garage, Alyssa Guzman's father asked her to drive him the short distance back to his truck, so he could fill it up and be back home for Thanksgiving. Alyssa brought him back to fill up his tank.
Alyssa sat waiting in her truck for what should have only taken a few minutes.
"I looked down at my phone, and then I just felt my body go forward, and I went back, and I just thought, oh my gosh my truck just got hit, and I thought, 'oh my gosh where's my dad?'" Alyssa Guzman said.
Alyssa remembers finding her father on the ground and holding his hand waiting for help.
"I was just talking to him, telling him that I loved him and that he couldn't leave me," she said.
Samuel Guzman died at a nearby hospital. His youngest son remembers him as a hard worker who took on multiple jobs to support his family.
"He loved us a lot. He pushed us to do the best we could be in school and in soccer in our sports," Andrew Guzman said.
Guzman's oldest son says the holiday weekend has taken a toll on the family as they plan a funeral instead of celebrating Thanksgiving.
"It's been rough. I've seen my uncles who I've never seen cry cry. I've seen my mom cry more than I would ever like to see. I've shed more tears now than I think I've ever shed," Sammy Guzman said.
Police identified the driver who hit Guzman as 50-year-old Paul Thurber. Officers arrested him for driving under the influence. Now the family says they're speaking publicly about the crash to warn others about the dangers of drinking and driving.
"This can raise awareness and save somebody else from making the same mistake or save somebody else's dad, somebody's brother, somebody's son, then it's what he'd want to do," Sammy Guzman said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses. If you'd like to help, click here.
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