A 24-year-old man from Santa Fe, which is a little over an hour from Los Lunas, has been charged with two counts of great bodily harm by vehicle and vehicular homicide. The man was allegedly driving while intoxicated when he turned in front of another vehicle.
The man reportedly told police that he had consumed three beers before getting behind the wheel that night. After the two vehicles collided, the man's vehicle struck another car, rolled and caught fire. When police arrived, they said the front passenger in man's car was deceased. Another passenger and the man were not seriously injured.
However, the two people in the Chevy Cobalt that the man tried to turn in front of were seriously injured. The driver of the Cobalt suffered from three broken ribs and two broken wrists. Her 7-year-old suffered a fractured eye socket and bleeding from the nose.
Police gave the man field sobriety tests, which he reportedly failed. He then had two blood draws completed, which police say he consented to. He reportedly told police, "How do you not blame yourself for something like this, I killed someone today."
The man is currently being held without bond in the Santa Fe County jail.
For those that are injured or who lose a loved one due to a drunk driver's actions, you have a right to seek compensation. Even though the intoxicated driver may stand trial in a criminal court, it is not a requirement for a civil lawsuit to be filed. An experienced attorney can provide you with more information on how to pursue compensation.
Source: KOB.com, "Driver admits having three beers before fatal Santa Fe crash," T.S. Last, April 10, 2017
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