VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Benjamin Alvarado, Jr.'s friends and family are sharing more about their loved one after the 48-year-old died in a crash on Shore Drive early Sunday morning.
The crash happened at around 2:30 a.m. near First Landing State Park, according to Virginia Beach police. They say Samuel Randolph, 22, collided with Alvarado, who died at the scene. Randolph now faces several charges: DUI first offense, DUI maiming and DUI manslaughter.
Alvarado's loved ones say he served in the Navy for two decades. His sister, Crystal Jobeh, said even though his military service kept him busy, "It was a really special time when we could see him. We were just so proud of him, and he was, like, our hero."
Jobeh added, "You know how people say, 'That person walked into a room, and the room lit up?' It's such a cliché, but it literally was that way with him." Jobeh says Alvarado's passion included attending concerts and music festivals. He also participated in a local kickball league. Tasha Dekker says it was in one of those leagues where she met Alvarado seven years ago.
"He was just fun to be around, so I kept showing up," she said. "To describe him in one word is impossible because he was so many things. He was dependable, he was kind."
The league held a moment of silence in Alvarado's honor Thursday night before a tournament. Dekker told the players, "Let's honor him every day."
Other teammates also shared their memories of Alvarado. Danielle Showich said, "Ben was the joyful part of this team. He lifted our spirits if we were down and made sure it was a good day of the week for any of us who came out to play."
"Ben was probably the most caring, giving person and [he] had a heart of gold," Austin Perez added. "He was that guy you could always count on no matter what. He was just the best friend."
Michael Jennings said that after moving to the area, he joined Alvarado's team as a free agent, and they quickly became friends. He explained, "We really hit it off. If we weren't playing kickball, I'd still see him about once a week."
Loved ones also said Alvarado himself had been sober for 73 days. "He said, 'I need something new with my life, I want to take a new path.' He was excited for this new adventure," Jobeh said.
When asked if she had a message for the suspect, Jobeh said, "I’m sure you didn’t set out that night to destroy a life, to end a life, but you did because of your decisions. In the future, I just ask you not do this to somebody else’s family."
Dekker added, "Everybody should be like Benny and try to help their friends and make sure they get home safely. I was a passenger in his vehicle and it's something he took pride in. It's just irony that this happened to him while he was helping a friend out."
One other person was in the car with Alvarado. She went to the hospital with serious injuries.