奇速英语

父母喝醉了，竟让13岁女儿开车

Parents in Texas have been charged with child endangerment after having their 13-year-old daughter drive the family home from a club because the couple were too drunken to do so themselves.

Alvaro Benitez and Araceli Mata-Ortiz were arrested in Austin last Sunday night after police pulled over their car, only to find a 13-year-old driving. The parents and their 7-year-old daughter were riding as passengers. After the family spent the evening at a “family club,” the 13-year-old saw that her parents were too drunk to drive and suggested taking the wheel. Benitez and Mata-Ortiz agreed and said the 22.7-mile drive home would provide their daughter with “a little adventure”.

When police arrested the couple, they found a still-cold open can of beer in the car. “Alvaro and Araceli’s actions intentionally and knowingly put their two daughters in a danger of death,” an officer says.

According to the Austin American-Statesman,Benitez has been convicted of driving while drunk twice before, in 1990 and 1991. The officer says, “Such an event is dangerous for the children and will leave them feeling very unsafe in the world. Yes, they and the family can recover, but it will take a focused effort and a clearly articulated program of recovery.”

The parents, should seek help immediately — for their own health, and for the health and safety of their children. “My hope is this family uses this dramatic event as a wake-up call.”