Tarrant County seeing uptick in DWI arrests in August, law enforcement says

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - Fort Worth Police say they will be increasing patrols as Labor Day weekend approaches.

The move comes after a string of drunk driving-related deaths in Tarrant County just this month.

Earlier this month, Fort Worth Police Sergeant Billy Randolph was killed while working the scene of a crash.

Police say 25-year-old De Aujalae Evans drove the wrong way on I-35W.

Court documents say Evans admitted to having nearly a dozen shots of alcohol before the crash.

"Just days later, my officers are working an accident on the same stretch of I-35, when someone else who chose to drink and drive slammed into the back of one of our marked patrol vehicles," said Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes.

Jonathan Gomez was arrested for that crash. Thankfully, no one was injured.

That was not the case days later with another suspected DWI crash.

Fort Worth investigators say 19-year-old Eduardo Gonzalez was intoxicated when he slammed into a car, killing five people inside.

Family members tell FOX 4 Willie Lee Gunn, his girlfriend Amber Hopewell and her three children were all killed.

"We're seeing an uptick in Tarrant County of DWI. So far, the first two weeks of this month, we've arrested 63 DWIs," Sheriff Bill Waybourn said.

On Friday, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and law enforcement announced the latest nationwide crackdown to get ahead of dangerous driving on Labor Day weekend.

Rosario Saenz unfortunately knows the impact of drunk driving on a family. She lost her daughter in 2022.

"Losing Leslie at only 25 to this 100% preventable. Crime is all heartbreaking and frustrating.," Saenz said. "Even though he's in jail, his mom can still talk to him, visit him, and one day, once he serves his sentence, she will get to hug and touch him again. My family will never get to hug or kiss Leslie again."

MADD told us in 2022, nearly 1,200 people were killed on Texas roads due to drunk driving.

While law enforcement is doing itspart, Chief Neil Noakes said the real solution is with every adult before they get behind the wheel.

"We cannot arrest our way out of this. We're going to do our part, and we are going to arrest those who said they want to drink and drive. But we've all got to be part of this solution," Noakes said.

Sheriff Waybourn said Tarrant County has a no refuse policy and they do blood draws for suspected drunk drivers.