FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – An arraignment hearing was held Wednesday for a woman accused of driving drunk before fatally striking a road ranger who was helping another driver in Broward County on New Year’s Day.
The attorney for Latoya Hayes, 45, entered a written plea of not guilty. Hayes did not appear in court.
The family of 28-year-old Jose Parra, who was killed in the crash, were present in court Wednesday.
Parra was killed on duty at a crash scene in the express lanes of I-95 southbound near Hollywood Boulevard.
Outside the courtroom, family members told Local 10 News there is not a day that goes by where they don’t think of Parra. His mother and wife embraced each other while in tears.
“If a person is drunk, they should take precautions -- they should worry about their life and the lives of others,” Parra’s stepfather, Davorin Socho, said in Spanish.
Parra’s stepfather said the family is putting all their faith in the justice system.
“This woman for me is a murderer,” he said.
State prosecutors allege that Hayes had a blood-alcohol content that was twice the legal limit, and said she did not have a valid driver’s license for more than two decades. Now she’s facing more than 20 charges.
Police said Hayes lost control of her SUV, causing a chain reaction crash, killing Parra and injuring two state troopers and another driver.
“He would always tell us, ‘I like helping people,’” Socho said.
As of Wednesday, Hayes was being held at the Broward County Main Jail without bond.
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27.