Father Of Drunk Driving Victim Tells Marlins Statue Of Jose Fernandez Is A Bad Idea

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Robert Boos' life will never be the same. His son Kevin, from Tamarac, died at the hands of a suspected drunk driver in Tallahassee in September 2015.

"The moment you see your child in a casket your life is different and it's over," Boos told CBS4's Carey Codd.

Killed along with Kevin Boos, 22, were two of his friends from Broward County, Vincenzo Libio, 22, and Morgan Carr, 21.

Robert Boos' suffering prompted him to write a letter to Miami Marlins President David Samson about owner Jeffrey Loria's decision to build a large statue to Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez outside Marlins Park.

Boos read Codd his letter during a FaceTime interview on Tuesday.

"Above all my family and friends certainly understand this and know exactly how this pain feels," he read. "Please do not make this worse by glorifying someone that needs to be left to rest in peace."

Investigators say Fernandez was at the wheel of his boat with cocaine in his system and a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit when he crashed and killed himself and two of his friends, Emilio Macias and Eduardo Rivero, last September.

"Our children were innocent victims as were Emilio and Eddy," Boos read. "Jose is a murderer, plain and simple. He not only foolishly caused his own death. He took two young men with him. Had he lived, he'd probably be in jail right now."

Robert Boos says his son loved Fernandez and the last sporting event his son went to, along with Libio, was a Marlins game that Fernandez pitched. He said the family almost buried Kevin in a Jose Fernandez jersey.

Like everyone, Boos grieved the dead of the Marlins pitching phenom even more so because his son idolized Fernandez.

But knowing Fernandez's poor choices, Boos decided he had to speak up and tell the Marlins that honoring Fernandez would be a slap in the face to all victims of drunk driving.

"I'm just hoping they hear a story like this one and realize the pain behind this for all of us that have lost someone to drunk or impaired driving that it's not the right thing to do that it's not right to honor any of these people," Boos said.

Boos would like to see the money the Marlins plan to spend on a statue put to use for education and awareness about drunk and impaired driving.

He said if the Marlins go forward with a statue of Jose Fernandez he will be there to peacefully protest.