JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was arrested last week in a July crash on Edgewood Avenue North that left a father of 14 children dead, authorities said.
Najee Hillsman, 24, is charged with DUI manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury.
On July 21, police said, Hillman was driving while drunk, crossed the medium and hit 38-year-old Alvin Nelson's car head-on.
Alvin Nelson, a father of 14, was killed. The crash also caused Nelson's passenger tp suffer a miscarriage, and left her with two broken legs, according to family.
Hillsman’s car flipped onto its roof after the crash. He was taken to the hospital, where blood was drawn. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement report, the blood alcohol content was 0.163, which is twice the legal limit.
On Saturday, Hillsman was booked into the Duval County jail, where he's being held on $725,000 bond.
Alvin Nelson's mother, Carolyn Nelson, told News4Jax on Thursday that her grandchildren's lives have been turned upside down since his tragic death.
"Our family is broken," Carolyn Nelson said.
The mother said she's angry with Hillman and disappointed in him.
"People do not need to be out here drinking because they could take somebody else's loved one," she said. "They don't know how bad that hurts."
Carolyn Nelson said she has been restless since her son's death, and she barely sleeps or eats.
But she said she also remembers happier times with her son, who dreamed of being a singer and wrote music while taking care of his children. She said they too are still in pain.
"I have a lot of good memories of my kids. But then, memories, they're just memories," the mother said. "I can't touch my baby. I can't hold my baby."
From the beginning, police said, they believed that Hillsman was intoxicated. On the night of the crash, police said, Hillman smelled like "alcohol" and he had "bloodshot" eyes. Hillsman told rescue crews he has been drinking "all day long."
Alvin Nelson’s siblings shared a statement with News4Jax, which reads,"Hillsman needs to be held accountable for his actions and choices made to destroy the life of my brother and his unborn babies. All the family wants is justice.”
Carolyn Nelson said she will be in court to see the man who police said killed her son.