A family that had been joyfully planning a wedding is now filled with sorrow after a suspected DWI crash in Fort Worth caused the death of a beloved bride-to-be who was preparing to get married this weekend.
Michelle Guevara, 23, and her cousin, 16-year-old Anubis Acosta, were hit by a vehicle driven by an allegedly impaired driver on Labor Day.
Guevara suffered a broken neck and injuries to her spinal cord and brain. Critically injured, she was placed on life support but taken off on September 11.
Acosta had a fractured ankle and pelvis and is still receiving treatment in the hospital. The family said the 16-year-old is in a critical state and in and out of consciousness. She does not know her cousin is dead.
Guevara’s wedding was scheduled for September 17, and according to her parents, Carol and Nicholas Guevara, she was eagerly awaiting the ceremony.
“She had a countdown, and every morning she would make everybody aware,” Carol said. “That morning, she said, ‘12 days.’”
“We’re suffering. We were planning a wedding, and then this happened,” Nicholas lamented.
The Guevaras explained that their daughter had everything ready except for her shoes. That was what she went to get on the day she was involved in the unfortunate accident that led to her death. She had arranged an impromptu shopping trip with her younger cousin.
Police say that Guevara and Acosta were on Mansfield Highway, five blocks away from their home. They had a green arrow and were trying to turn left onto Wichita Street when a white pickup truck ran the red light and smashed into their car.
Police identified the driver as 29-year-old Juan Manuel Lopez. They reported he was driving at 66 mph in a zone with a limit of 40 mph.
He was arrested and charged with two counts of intoxication assault after he allegedly admitted to smoking K-2, a synthetic cannabinoid, earlier that day, according to police. Following Guevara’s death, one of the counts was upgraded to intoxication manslaughter.
The bereaved family reminded others not to drive under the influence because of the potential consequences.
“They should think about it. How they would feel if [it] was one of [their] family members … who were killed because of somebody else,” Nicholas said.
A $60,000 bond was set for Lopez.
