POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — As her family describes her, Leslie Stone was the kind of woman who would break up a tense moment with a joke and give her neighbors the last produce from her garden.
“Just to make somebody else smile is what made her happy,” said her sister, Abby Wences.
After Stone’s death on Christmas Eve, her family says that source of joy is gone forever.
“On Christmas Eve night, it’s just, we won’t celebrate no more. It’s just not going to be feasible in this household,” said Wences.
The family already experienced loss in recent years with the death of Stone’s brother.
“It’s a tragedy and a feeling that you can’t put into words,” said Stone’s mother Pam Wences, who lost two adult children.
She said Stone, a mother of three, had just been released from the hospital after a medical scare.
“She’d been closed up for so long she just needed some time for herself, get some fresh air. She couldn’t walk so I let her use my wheelchair,” said Wences.
Stone was using the wheelchair when she was struck by a driver around 6 p.m. on West Pipkin Road in Lakeland. The road is under construction and does not have a sidewalk.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the car was driven by 67-year old Howard Bennett of Plant City. Deputies said he had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and a blood alcohol content of .159 G/210 L, and .158G/210 L. Both samples were nearly twice the legal threshold of 0.08 G/210L.
“He chose to drink and he chose to drive and take the life of an innocent person. I’m very angry. I’m very upset. God tells you to forgive but I don’t know if there’s a forgiveness for that in anybody’s heart when you take somebody’s life,” said Pam Wences.
Wences said her grandchildren were supposed to wake up on Christmas and open gifts with their mother. They all had a special dinner planned.
“Instead they wake up to no mom and no happiness in the house. Nobody’s opening presents, nobody’s doing anything because we were all grieving the loss of their mom,” said Pam Wences.
Bennett is facing several charges including DUI Manslaughter.
Jail records show he is still in custody on a $160,000 bond.
