Relatives recount losing teens after wreck

LA MARQUE — At a sentencing hearing Wednesday, relatives recalled the lives of two teenagers killed by a man accused of driving with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.

Jim Howard III, 28, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts each of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault, stemming from a 2 a.m., March 21, 2009, wreck that killed two girls in La Marque.

Samantha Romero, 17, was pronounced dead at the scene at FM 1765 and Ross Street. She was a back seat passenger in the crowded car, sitting on the lap of her best friend, Raquel Martinez.

Connie Onhiser testified about the attempts to save the life of her granddaughter Martinez, 17, who had aspirations of a career as a graphic designer.

Onhiser went with family to Houston on the night Martinez was hospitalized.

“She was hurt really bad,” Onhiser said. “When they did let us go in to see Raquel, there was a man on top of my baby, holding her hip in place, because blood was going everywhere. They were trying to keep blood from going out of her side.”

Waiting, Hoping

For 12 days, relatives kept watch at the hospital, sleeping on floors, Onhiser said.

Onhiser spoke to Raquel, who had bruising on the brain, asking her to, “Open your eyes for Nana.”

“She opened her eyes,” Onhiser said. “It was a blank stare. I thought, maybe, maybe, but then they told us that was probably just involuntary muscle movement and not to get our hopes up.”

There were so many hopes that Martinez would recover, but the hope dwindled after a couple days, Onhiser said. Martinez had 12 operations, she said.

“She didn’t deserve to die, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and neither did Sam,” Onhiser said.

Prosecutor Lester Blizzard asked Onhiser whether Martinez’s body had been cremated. Onhiser reached into her shirt and pulled out a shinny necklace and locket.

“I have some of my granddaughter’s ashes right here,” Martinez said, staring at Howard. “I carry them with me 24/7. When I had my heart attack, I wouldn’t let them take this off of me. This is all I have of my granddaughter.”

‘A Terrible Accident’

Tracy Leal testified next, saying her daughter, Romero, loved to dance and was interested in cosmetology.

On the morning of the wreck, Leal texted Romero, instructing her to come home, because it was past curfew.

“Shortly after that, my oldest son ... said there’d been a terrible accident and Sam didn’t make it,” Leal testified.

Refusing to believe her daughter was dead, Leal found the crash site and started to panic, she said.

“I didn’t want to believe it was her,” Leal said. “They were just kids. They were out after curfew and didn’t deserve to die.”

Romero was buried next to her father at a Hitchcock cemetery, Leal said.

“Sometimes I’m angry, sad I can’t feel happy without feeling guilty,” Leal said. “I feel so guilty I’m having a happy moment, and she can’t be there. Every morning, I relive it over and over again, wanting her to be there and she’s not.”

Drinking and driving is a horrible decision, Leal said.

“It’s not just something that happens to our family or Mr. Howard’s family,” Leal said. “It can happen to anybody.”

0.19 Blood Alcohol Level

Wednesday afternoon’s testimony revealed Howard’s blood-alcohol level was 0.19 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, when taken after the wreck and processed through a Department of Public Safety laboratory, Lester said.

Testimony revealed Howard went to a bar in Webster and had 11/2 drinks.

The state is expected to rest its case today with a state trooper who could testify to the speed at which Howard’s car was traveling before the crash.

There was no evidence in terms of rubber on the highway that would suggest Howard applied the brakes, testimony revealed.

Judge John Ellisor, of Galveston’s 122nd District Court, could sentence Howard to life in prison on each intoxication manslaughter charge and up to 20 years on each intoxication assault charge, Lester said.