Man Killed By Drunk Driver Minutes After Leaving Alcoholics Anonymous

In life, we like to think everything works itself out–but sometimes, things happen that are simply unexplainable.

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A man in California ended up being struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver as he stood outside after attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

The victim in question is 58-year-old Ray Galindo from Modesto, California, who died on April 23 after being hit by a car being driven by 22-year-old Braxton Howze. According to a report from CBS 13 Sacramento, Galindo was hit while he was standing next to his car, just minutes after leaving an AA meeting at the Living Sober Fellowship.

According to Fox News, Galindo was sitting on the tailgate of his vehicle while having a conversation with a new AA member; He attended the April 23 meeting to support that new member.

At the time of the incident, Howze was intoxicated, according to local police cited by The Modesto Bee. “He was found to be under the influence,” revealed Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear. Though Howze walked away from the scene, he was apprehended nearby soon afterward.

Now, Howze is being held on a $1 million bail and has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, hit and run resulting in death, and driving under the influence.

Of course, this is a tragic situation regardless–but the irony of an alcoholic putting in the effort to better his life, only to get killed by a drunk driver, makes things that much worse. Following the news, tributes have poured in from who local people say was always kind and willing to help those around him.

“It’s like my heart sank in my chest,” a Modesto Alcoholics Anonymous member named Mark G told local TV station CBS 13. “Ray was a standup guy. He was a very helpful person. He always wanted to lend a hand.”

“Ray didn’t have much, but what he had, he gave freely and was blessed to do so,” said Dee Gisler, a friend of Galindo’s. “Every time you asked him how he was doing, it was always the same, ‘I am blessed.'”