LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Last year, the families of 412 people in Nevada experienced the loss of a loved one in a traffic collision.
"It's very hard, because a lot of people don't understand it until they live through it," said Veronica Ramos.
Ramos was one of the family members who gathered Friday night at a candlelight vigil in memory of the lives lost on Southern Nevada roads last year.
Hear from Veronica Ramos and her family on the impact they've felt from the loss of their loved one:
She says her brother, Antonio Aguilera, lost his life last year to a drunk driver who was going the wrong way. He was 21 years old.
"They didn't just take my brother that day," Ramos said. "They took my mom, my dad. They'll never be the same...Our family will never be the same because of it."
According to data collected by Zero Fatalities, 293 of the 412 statewide traffic fatalities last year happened in Clark County. And 22 more people lost their lives on Nevada roads in 2024 than were killed in 2023.
Impaired driving is the leading cause of fatal crashes in Nevada, Zero Fatalities reports. Fifty-one percent of all traffic fatalities in the state involve an impaired driver, the agency's data shows, and speeding is a factor in 33% of fatal crashes in the state.
"Until they lose a loved one to a drunk driver, a wrong-way driver, they don't understand it, so people here tonight will understand the pain that we're going through," Ramos said.
Nevada State Police, which hosted the vigil, said they hope it's a reminder to stay vigilant on our roads and never drink and drive.
