Deborah L. Aaron, 56, of Santa Fe. (Booking mug courtesy Santa Fe County jail)
Posted on 01/02/2012 7:38:25 PM PST by CedarDave
SANTA FE – About four years ago, a doctor probably helped Juliana Reyes Vasquez into the world. Now, a doctor is accused of ending her life.
Juliana, 4, died early Saturday morning, about two hours after an alleged drunken driver struck a minivan at a Santa Fe intersection that carried the child, her 3-year-old sister Yeretez Jasmine Reyes Vasquez and their mother, Carla Vasquez Rivera. Mother and sister were both injured, but survived.
Both girls were in the back seat and in car seats at the time of the crash, and both drivers were wearing seatbelts, according to police.
Deborah Aaron, a former surgeon at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center who currently has ties to Doctors Without Borders, is accused of being drunk behind the wheel of the SUV that T-boned the Rivera Vasquez family’s minivan.
Aaron, 56, is a New York University graduate who attended medical school at UCLA, according to information from her Facebook page. The doctor was booked without bond into the Santa Fe County jail early Saturday on charges of DWI and vehicular homicide.
About three years ago, Aaron worked as a surgeon at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, according to Delgado, who was unable Saturday to provide information about the circumstances that led to Aaron’s leaving the hospital.
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A tragedy and a waste all around. Drunks are drunks, but she’s almost undoubtedly going to do some serious time and her career as (I assume) a skilled surgeon is probably toast. Prison doc?
About a week ago I was driving home (East of Albuquerque) on old Rt 66 with my wife, son and daughter in law. It was probably around 7:30PM. I found myself behind a van that was having trouble maintaining the lane. (weaving all over the place). I called the County Sheriff’s dispatch and reported the individual, along with license number. I made three calls total when, after some time, I did not see any cops in the area. Finally, a few miles up the road, I saw two Bernalillo Deputies sitting in wait. As soon as the suspected drunk driver passed them, they were on him like white on rice! I felt good.
Good job!
Several years ago we were passed by some kids that were driving too fast and weaving. I called the State Police with their license # and location. Several days later I got a call from an officer thanking me for reporting them, apparently they were wanted.
More recently I called in a driver that was weaving in and out of traffic, riding on bumpers and generally being obnoxious. The dispatcher said “how fast are you going” and hung up on me.
I read that in the paper yesterday. How very sad. Of all people out there, a doctor should have seen plenty of examples of what happens when people drive drunk.
What a shame that such a young child was lost.
“Prison doc?”
That phrase in the Constitution regarding “cruel and unusual punishment” would come into play here;)
Did ALCOHOL contribute to her separation from that hospital three years ago? Love the way those guys dummy up/s
There is widespread alcoholism among MD’s.
One of my classmates at the time was onboard. She was able to get off, but her sister was not so fortunate. One of my best friends and coworkers lost four friends in the crash. He would have gone with them, but his dad was in the hospital so he stayed home.
It always makes me so angry when I read an article like this. It is almost impossible to imagine that anyone is so alone in the world that they can't call someone up and ask them for a ride home. There has been many a night when I'll get a call around one or two in the morning and end up driving to Louisville (40 miles) or Lexington (75 miles) to pick them up.
I don't understand why seemingly responsible people dismiss driving after a few drinks as 'just something everybody does.' And while they all spin the dice, those have the accidents by sheer statistical unluckiness (a car happened to be there when they ran the stop sign) are somehow the only ones they consider to have a moral inadequacy.
Next time, report them as texting and using a video game behind the wheel.
Sounds like it might have already been.
This is why I propose giving addicts all they want of whatever they are addicted to. But in a locked, guarded, inescapable building. When they OD they don’t take anyone else with them.
Prayers for the little girl and her family.How very sad.
And here's the trailer for a movie that is being made about this life.
My friend Art was (and still is) good friends with Harold. After the crash, Art spent many an afternoon and weekend in Harold's room at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville. I am eternally thankful that this wonderful facility, with the best pediatric burn ward in the entire world, was only an hour away from the crash site and helped save the lives of many of those burned in the crash.
“This is why I propose giving addicts all they want of whatever they are addicted to. But in a locked, guarded, inescapable building. When they OD they don’t take anyone else with them.”
I have thought of this. Perhaps on closed military bases. I think it would be a humane way to get addicts out of the general population and lower overall crime quite a bit.
I guess I don’t understand your reply. I couldn’t read article because of subscription nonsense.
Are you suggesting this doctor is an alcoholic (addict)?
As for locking up addicts, There’s not an area big enough in the USA to segregate boozers while they drink 24/7/365, unless you want to make the entire country a prison.
I do believe that illicit drugs should be decriminalized. The WOD is a failure, a waste of resources, has precipitated a loss of freedoms for all Americans, & is the father of our expanding police state.
People with addictions have a MEDICAL problem that all the police & all the prisons will NEVER cure. With an admitted 4% success rate in treating addictions, the medical industry will never cure addiction, either.
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I beg your pardon?! I have been practicing 25 years and have not run across any issues. In the hospital where I am chair of a major department one alcohol related incident will get you off staff immediately. And your license and ability to practice anywhere ever again will be in grave danger. Almost every doc I know is careful to the extreme with any Amount of alcohol. Paint with your broad brush somewhere else
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