BEAUMONT, Texas — This Fourth of July marks the first anniversary of the death of a Beaumont boy after a devastating drunk driving crash.
Landon Slaughter, 3, died in the crash at the intersection of Franklin and Avenue E.
The driver was intoxicated and drove through the stop sign, hitting the car carrying Slaughter.
He and his sister were both injured in the accident. She has made a full recovery.
She recovered. Landon didn't.
Meanwhile, his mother continues to mourn the loss of her son.
"On the outside it looks pretty, and I'm smiling but on the inside. I'm hurting because I've lost my child," Sierra Neville said. "Not drinking responsibly, that it can change your life or somebody else's life."
The driver, Orlando Morris, is still booked in Jefferson County Jail.
Morris is charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and intoxication assault, among other charges.
Neville says it's difficult for her to drive through the neighborhood because she is reminded of her son.
"Landon, to me, stands for his love. It's what keeps me wanting to give love to anybody that I see because you never know the last moment that you might share with him," Neville said.
A memorial filled with cards and flowers from total strangers can be seen in front of a nearby church, paying homage to his life. This grieving mother wants folks to understand the importance of driving sober during the holiday.
"Just think about Landon. I'm not trying to be a damper, or put anything on anyone's holiday but just think about him," Neville said.