GUTTENBERG AND BEYOND — Johnny Restrepo said that his brother never drank and drove and was only focus on bettering his life and creating a career for himself in the Army.
However, the aspirations of Private First Class Felipe Ramirez, 27, of Guttenberg were cut short Saturday morning when he was struck and killed by a drunk driver at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
Police allege that the Army specialist who hit him with his car was under the influence of alcohol. The specialist is being charged with second degree murder.
Restrepo said that his brother did not drink and was only focusing on working out, his career with the Army, and his upcoming January deployment. He was out with friends at a bar, but as usual did not drink. After around 2 a.m. Ramirez and his friend Chris, both sober, rode their motorcycles back, said Restrepo.
“Chris said that all of a sudden this truck just came out of nowhere and hit my brother head-on,” said Restrepo. “Chris was able to avoid it.”
Restrepo said that when the ambulance arrived they tried to resuscitate his brother, but it was too late.
Saturday afternoon, their father was notified. Their father called Restrepo and “just broke down.”
Chris told Restrepo that the man who hit Ramirez was allegedly “so drunk” that he tried to flee the scene, but was unable to. Police took him into custody soon after, he said.
Restrepo said that his brother had confided in him that driving while intoxicated was a problem on the Army base, and while officials tried to control it, many soldiers were allegedly getting behind the wheel drunk.
He said that their close-knit family will miss Ramirez, who enlisted a year and a half ago, fulfilling a life-long dream. They all had spent two weeks together near the Fourth of July, a family tradition.
“Every person who ever met my brother just fell in love with him,” said Restrepo. “He was that person who brought everyone together. He loved life.”–Tricia Tirella
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