Mother killed by suspected DUI driver who ran a red light while speeding, police say

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB/Gray News) - The family of a 37-year-old woman killed by an alleged drunk driver in Florida said she was a wonderful sister and mother.

Officials said Sara-Danielle Holmes was a passenger in a car that was struck Saturday night around 10:40 p.m. in Bradenton.

Detectives said she was taken to a nearby hospital where she died Sunday morning.

Leesa Holmes, Sara-Danielle Holmes' mother, said the best person anyone could have ever known was taken away.

"She was the light of our lives and her daughters; how do you tell them she's not coming back?" she said.

By late Monday afternoon, police confirmed they arrested 25-year-old Cesar Navarrete on felony charges related to the fatal crash.

Officials said Navarrete was driving at a high rate of speed when he ran a red light and slammed into the Chevy Equinox that Sara-Danielle Holmes and her boyfriend were riding in, splitting the vehicle in half.

Navarrete and a passenger in his vehicle were taken to an area hospital. Police said Navarrete displayed signs of impairment, and a DUI investigation revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .289.

Navarrete is facing felony charges of DUI manslaughter and driving while license suspended causing death or serious bodily injury.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help raise money for Holmes' burial and for her two daughters that she left behind.