Jailed Drunken Driver Blames Employer For Fatal Crash

February 27, 2007

SAN DIEGO -- The man convicted in the drunken driving death of a Ramona woman said his former boss should also face criminal charges, NBC 7/39 reported.
Rafael Ramirez Perez admitted he made a huge mistake when he said he got drunk and drove his employer's work truck on state Route 67 and crashed into a car driven by 22-year-old Amy Kortlang, who was killed instantly.

Now Perez will have to spend at least 21 years in prison.

"I think alcohol is a disease and sometimes you can't deal with it, you know,” Perez said. "I want to tell the family, I'm sorry hopefully over time they will forgive me."

But Perez said he thinks his former employer, Mark Kackstetter, the owner of MK Concrete, should also be held responsible. Perez said his former boss never checked his background.

"He never asked me if I had a license," Perez said.

Perez has a suspended driver's license and four prior DUI convictions.

"I know I was driving the truck, and my history and everything, maybe if he would have taken the extra time he would have saved two lives from going down the hill," Perez said.

Perez said he wasn't the only illegal immigrant working at MK Concrete.

“I believe he should be checked for all of that and how long he's been doing this, because it's not fair," Perez said.

Kortlang’s family is suing both Perez and Kackstetter in her death. The family also wants Kackstetter to face criminal charges for hiring Perez, who is an undocumented immigrant.

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