Arlington suspected drunken driver kills woman on motorcycle
ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington police are investigating an alcohol-related hit-and-run crash that left a female motorcyclist dead.
The accident happened around 11 p.m. Friday near the intersection of South Watson and Webb Lynn roads.
The driver of a Dodge Charger ran a red light and struck 43-year-old Julie Maldonado’s bike, police said.
She was taken to the hospital and later died from her injuries.
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Suspected drunken driver arrested
Kenneth Polk (Tarrant County Sheriff's Office)
Police believe the driver who hit Maldonado was intoxicated at the time of the crash.
Kenneth Polk, 22, reportedly fled the scene but was quickly arrested nearby.
Witnesses told police they also saw Polk’s Charger hit a residential mailbox and drive off.
He’s now in the Tarrant County jail facing charges for intoxication manslaughter and a collision involving death.
Polk's bond was set at $20,000.
Crash victim was an Arlington mother of three
Maldonado's family told FOX 4 she was just a few minutes away from her boyfriend's house when she was hit.
They want the mother of three to be remembered as a light in everyone's life.
"She was a force. She was powerful. This won't go down silently. Everybody's gonna know Julie Maldonado. They're gonna know her name. They're gonna know what happened to her, and they're gonna know to be better because of what happened to her," said Yarielis Vazquez, Maldonado's daughter.
Maldonado's children said she was wearing all her gear and a helmet at the time of the crash.
They hope her death raises awareness to never drink and drive.
One thing that gives her children peace is knowing that she died doing something she loved.