Fierro provides emotional testimony

Posted at: 09/28/2009 8:17 AM | Updated at: 09/28/2009 2:18 PM
By: Gadi Schwartz, Eyewitness News 4; Charlie Pabst, KOB.com

Carlos Fierro broke down at one point on the witness stand.

Fierro's testimony is the pivotal point for the defense team, and this morning, the jury heard Carlos Fierro admit to drinking and driving as he explained what he saw the night of the crash.

In front of a packed courtroom, Fierro's defense team took him through his night of drinking with his "best friend" Alfred Lovato.

Fierrro told the jury at one point he had considered calling his mother's boyfriend to drive them home because he was feeling intoxicated.

But, he didn't.

Instead, Fierro explained how he drove to Allsup's twice that night, and also driving to WilLee's Blues Bar.

He says he's admitted to drinking and driving since day one, and at one point, broke down about not being able to apologize to the Tenorio family.

"It's hard because you cant-- no matter what happens here, this stays with me for ever and I can't say anything to them, and I see his mom and I see his brother, Mrs. Little and everything, even though I knew him for a short minute what do you say you can't." After much of the emotional testimony, many in the Fierro family were crying, as most of the Tenorio family sat stoic.

Fierro also admitted to hitting a median right before the crash, but told the jury he thought his car was still driving fine, and never saw Tenorio in the street.

Fierro says he fled because he thought someone had thrown a rock at his windshield and didn't find out he had hit a person until an officer told him after he took a blood test.

This afternoon, the jury will receive its instructions and possibly begin deliberations.

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