Vigil held for Livermore mom, baby killed in car crash

LIVERMORE, Calif. (KGO) -- Friends, family and neighbors gathered at the spot where a suspected drunk driver ran down a mother and daughter. Many broke down in tears.

Together, they came to offer their condolences to the family that lost their loved ones. For Rosa Morales, the victims were her aunt and cousin. She found them lying on the ground just moments after they were run over by a suspected drunk driver.

"It was on my birthday, so I have to carry that every year," Morales said.

Rosa was celebrating her 19th birthday and her little brother was celebrating his first holy communion. The crash left scratches on his face. He was among the two children who were injured in the crash.

Esperanza Morales was a 40-year-old mother of three and her daughter, Juli, was only 14 months old.

The suspected drunk driver, 35-year-old Brian Jones, is out on bail. Police say he attended the Livermore Wine Country Festival before the crash, which is about a half mile away. His car went careening into the backyard, hitting Esperanza and her baby.

Police say Jones was driving with a 0.13 and 0.14 percent blood content, which is more than the legal limit. He faces vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence charges.

Monday evening, Livermore Mayor John Marchand defended the city's wine festival. He said cabs were at the event and several other measures were taken to minimize excessive drinking.

"When they stop pouring at 5 o'clock, there was almost two hours before the accident and what this really boils down to is personal responsibility," Marchand said.

Jones is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning, and while relatives of the victims have nothing to say to him, they do have one wish.

"He took two lives and I hope that haunts him forever because it's going to haunt me forever," Morales said.

It was a split-second crash resulting in a lifetime of pain.

Click here to make a donation to help the family.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has additional information about the events that led up to the fatal incident is asked to contact the Livermore Police Department at (925) 371-4777.

Bay City news contributed to this report.