McKinley Co. residents fed up with DWI deaths

Posted at: 09/29/2009 8:51 PM | Updated at: 10/01/2009 9:10 AM
By: Joe Vigil, Eyewitness News 4; Matthew Kappus, KOB.com

Scott Costley was killed when a suspected drunk driver forced Costley's truck into a light poll

Drunk driving deaths in McKinley County aren't new, but people are fed up after seven suspected DWI deaths in just the last five months.

There was a rumbling tribute in Gallup Tuesday for the latest person killed in a suspected DWI crash—21-year-old Scott Costley. An avid motorcycle rider, Costley's coffin was taken from the church to the cemetery by a motorcycle trailer which doubled as a hearse.

Step mother Christy Costley said they want people to learn from Scott's death that driving drunk kills.

"A lot of people have lost lives like me and my wife," said Scott's father, Todd Costley.

State police say Daryl Begay, who works for the Navajo Nation Education Department, slammed into Costley last week, sending his truck into a light poll. Police say Begay was drunk.

The recent rash of suspected DWI deaths started on May 25 in a crash east of Gallup.

Sheriff's officials say Kee Manygoats was a passenger in a truck. Authorities say his sister was driving drunk when she crashed.

Others killed recently by suspected drunk drivers include a man in a wheelchair, a flag person in a construction zone, two young female hitchhikers and a woman near Crownpoint.

People in the area say enough is enough. Fed up with the deaths, Gallup resident Roberta Aragon contacted MADD in Albuquerque to see what she could do to help.

MADD and the governor's office are now setting up a town hall in Gallup to address the recent deaths. MADD is looking for volunteers to set up a local chapter.

"I'm really wanting to bring awareness to the community, get the community together to fight these drunk drivers," Aragon said.

MADD hopes to get volunteers to work as court monitors and victims advocates. A date for that town hall hasn't been set yet.

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