SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Antonio and Brittney Montano were driving along I-80 with their three children when an alleged drunk driver hit them head-on just before Thanksgiving 2021.
Brittney Montano’s brother, Anthony Gonzalez, had just seen the family at an early Thanksgiving celebration when he got the call from his brother as they were headed to a friend’s engagement party.
“We called my sister's phone and we knew when she didn't answer that something was wrong,” said Gonzalez.
Four of the five members of the Montano family were killed in the crash; the sole survivor was 4-year-old Julian.
When Gonzalez heard Julian had survived, he and his wife Michelle packed a bag and drove to Reno, where Julian spent several days in the hospital.
The Montano and Gonzalez family are not the only ones that have been impacted by a wrong-way driver. Data from the California Highway Patrol shows reports of wrong-way drivers are on the rise.
According to CHP, most of them are reported on weekends between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. Numbers from over six years of CHP collected data show 61% of wrong-way drivers were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Officer Margarito Meza with CHP Valley Division says in order to protect yourself, you should keep a wide view of the road at all times. He says driving in the right-most lanes at night can also help because wrong-way drivers often end up in the fast lane.
“Oftentimes, wrong-way drivers will think your fast lane is their slow lane. So, you just have to think about it in a reverse aspect,” said Meza.
If you get into a situation where you are on the road with a wrong-way driver, Meza says to pull over as soon as you can.
“Pull over to the right, try and find a safe location — if you're close to an exit, perfect. If not, try to pull over to the right shoulder, find a safe area, and wait for the wrong-way driver to pass. Then, if you could, it would help us if you call 911,” said Meza.
Michelle Gonzalez says the holidays are a time to get together and celebrate the holidays, but if people choose to drink, then it doesn’t take a lot to get to a place where you shouldn’t be driving.
“A split decision like that could literally erase almost an entire family like it did for us. We lost four family members in an instant and it's all because of someone’s selfish choice to get behind the wheel after they knew they had enough,” said Michelle.
Anthony adds that distracted driving is also dangerous and waiting to send that text could also prevent a dangerous situation.
“Always make sure you’re paying attention, keeping your head on a swivel,” said Anthony. “Stay focused on the road, don’t text and drive. Texting and driving or being on your phone is the same as drinking, it takes your attention away from the road. It could save lives.”
Anthony and Michelle also shared an update on Julian, who started school this year. She says he’s a bright spot in such a dark year.
“He’s just the happiest kid on the planet. I really believe that’s God’s doing. Given the situation and how he helped us get through it — I don't think we could have gotten through it without Julian. He’s our bonus son and we love him to death,” said Michelle.
