'She had a big heart:' Mother remembers daughter killed by 19-year-old drunk driver
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A mother tells ABC13 that she's still healing after a 19-year-old drunk driver crashed into her daughter's vehicle.
RELATED: 19-year-old allegedly had 12 drinks in 6 hours before crash that killed young mom
Carmen Rainer's daughter, 23-year-old Taylor Phillips, was killed in the crash. Rainer and her 1-year-old grandson were also in the vehicle, but survived the accident with minor injuries.
Rainer says her daughter was a young mother who just loved life. She said Phillips enjoyed making jokes, styling hair, and doing makeup. Her mother described her as someone with a "big heart" that would do anything for anyone.
"The greatest thing she's ever done was have that baby. She loved him. She was the best mother ever. She cherished him. She did everything she could for him," Rainer said. "The drunk driver came out of nowhere. We didn't see him until he was right up on us."
Rainer said the three were headed home from a weekend trip in New Orleans. The family was in Louisiana cheering on a relative who played football in the True Talent Bowl.
Rainer says they were only five minutes away from Phillip's home when the accident occurred.
"She said, 'Ah.' When she said that, the only thing you could see were two bright lights and a silver truck. At that time he was already on us. The impact just hadn't happened yet. I was out for a minute, but the baby crying woke me up," Rainer said. "I saw smoke and tried to get out of my seatbelt and open the door. I tried to get my grandson out. He was stuck under her and I couldn't get him out. People weren't stopping to help. I had to go into the street to wave my arms because they wouldn't stop. It took three men to get Mason from under her. His leg was stuck under her. I had to move her, and that's when I realized she was gone."
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for the baby's future expenses.
Rainer says she's upset that the suspected drunk driver, 19-year-old Eric Hernandez, is already out of jail on a $30,000 bond.
Hernandez appeared in court Wednesday morning, but refused to answer any questions from reporters.
Five bar employees who served Hernandez at Frontera Events Venue were arrested and charged Wednesday for serving alcohol to a minor.
