Mother Forgives Drunk Driver After Son Dies 6 Years Later
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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Grief – relief – and now forgiveness for the mother of a little boy who died, six years after a drunk driver put him into a vegetative state.
Abdallah Khader, 8, died at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth at 4:20 Sunday morning.
"The last week I've never seen my son suffer so much trying to hang onto life," said Abdallah's mother Loubna Elharazin.
The medical examiner hasn't determined his exact cause of death.
"He gave me six years to deal with it day, by day, day, by day," said Elharazin, about Richardson. "He's not going to haunt me anymore. I also want to tell him that I forgive him because my son is in heaven."
The impact of the crash left the toddler with damage to 80 percent of his brain. He was in need of constant care ever since.
Richardson, who had seven previous DUI convictions in four states, had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit, according to police.
He's still awaiting trial for intoxication assault and repeat DWI offense. Charges against Richardson may change after Abdallah's cause of death is determined.
Since the crash in 2009, the family succeeded in having Abdallah's Law passed, which makes the punishment harsher for people who drive while intoxicated.
The family had hoped to send Richardson to jail for life, but a judge granted a pre-trial defense motion limiting the punishment to a maximum of 20 years.
The family also sought a civil lawsuit against, Stewart Richardson, the driver, and Applebee's.
They sought more than $10 million for care for Abdallah's physical needs, loss of earnings, past medical expenses, mental anguish and pain and suffering.
The family believed Richardson was served too much alcohol at the Applebee's and left intoxicated before he rear-ended the family. Applebee's settled with the family for is undisclosed amount.
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