Posted on 07/05/2005 7:51:42 PM PDT by Asphalt
Denver - A mother of three was declared brain dead after a road-rage accident that occurred early this morning as her family headed home from a Fourth of July celebration.
Alicia Arana, 26, was thrown from a pickup truck driven by her common-law husband, Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr., 28.
Family members say the driver of a silver Dodge Intrepid forced the family into oncoming traffic.
Police say both drivers collided, sending both vehicles spinning out of control and the pick-up truck into oncoming traffic.
"I was called early this morning and told that my sister was in a car accident and that basically she had no chance to live," said Arana's sister, Melissa Arana. "I rushed to the hospital and when I got there, the doctors confirmed that she had no chance of living."
Melissa Arana said she will keep her sister on life support until her father can come from Mexico to say goodbye.
"At any point, her organs could fail," Arana said.
Cruz was injured and so were the children, Savannah Cruz, 9, Sierra Cruz, 7, and Jesus Manuel Cruz Jr., 5.
The accident occurred about 12:43 a.m. near Sheridan Boulevard and West Cedar Avenue.
Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr. was driving the 1979 Chevrolet pickup when he rear-ended the Intrepid as the two vehicles traveled north on Federal Boulevard at Morrison Road, police and family members said.
Melissa Arana said Cruz was drinking before the accident.
The incident began because the two drivers were revving their engines at the red light to show off, said Cruz's brother, Gene Cruz.
"When the light turned green, my brother also peeled out and the gray car, from what I could think, stopped real quick and had to swerve into the right lane and my brother bumped his bumper," Gene Cruz said.
Police say Cruz did not stop his pickup after the accident.
Gene Cruz said that's because his brother was scared for the safety of the children when the driver of the Intrepid got angry and began throwing beer bottles at the pickup truck.
"My brother lost his wife and his children's mother," Gene Cruz said. "He does feel guilty and blames himself because of the poor decisions that he made and not having seat belts in the car."
The driver of the Intrepid chased Cruz and pulled up along side him, forcing him into oncoming traffic, Gene Cruz said.
Cruz was struck by a large SUV and the force of the impact threw his wife and children out of the truck.
The driver of the Intrepid left the scene, police said. The SUV's driver also took off, Gene Cruz said.
Gene Cruz said police told him that they found the Intrepid a few blocks away from the accident, but the driver was gone. The SUV was not registered which may be why the driver of that vehicle also took off, he said.
Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr. hit his head on the back window of the truck and had five staples in his head and broke his shoulder.
His wife was thrown from the truck and struck her head.
Sierra and Jesus Manuel Jr. fractured their skulls, but doctors at Children's Hospital told the family they will recover. The boy had fluid in his lungs.
The family wants anyone with information about the drivers who left the scene to come forward and call the Denver Police Department at (720) 913-2000.
"My brother went an hour ago to Children's Hospital to tell the kids what happened to their mother," Gene Cruz said.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or at fcardona@denverpost.com.
Did not have their selt belts on.
Typical illegal alien driving while drunk. It would be interesting to see the ethnic breakdown of fatal DWIs in the Southwest. And they don't have insurance either, because they have no driver's license.
Both drivers were a-holes, and for that, children were injured and their mother is dead. What a damned shame.
"Did not have their selt belts on."
Did not have seat belts in the truck at all. Presumably the mom was riding in the front seat, but there were not seatbelts per the uncle. Sounds like an illegal alien roadrage fest. Too bad it cost that woman her life, and her children their mother. Too bad these two fine upstanding folks couldn't find it in their hearts to get married after having THREE children together. Too bad dad didn't drive sober in a road worthy car. As for the other drivers, I'm sure they share their share of blame. Sound like machismo run amok. And if women and children die, well, what of it?
Already in a neighborhood near you.
Once I hit that line I realized it must be satire.
...it is satire, right?
Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr. was driving the 1979 Chevrolet >>>
Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr. was driving a classic car
prayers for the family.
Definitely a case of no Cruz control.
Probably 50-50 responsibility.
When a speeder gets stuck behind a dweeb blocking the left passing lane... I say the dweeb is more responsible. But if there's only one lane, then the speeder needs to slow down.
He was drinking.
He was reving his engine, egging the other other driver to race him -- with his family in the car.
He rear-ended the other car and did not stop.
He had no seat belts.
Yeah, I'd feel guilty too. 'Cept I'd never behave in such a stupid and irresponsible way.
LOL!!!
What ticks me off is that these a@@holes are ON THE F'NG ROAD WITH ME!!!! Just call me "insensitive" but I could care less what happens to them...what about the rest of us on the road?
I'm sometimes one of those dweebs. It depends on the situation, but sometimes I want in a lane because I am turning or for some other valid reason. Then you have some punk that wants to get somewhere fast start tailing you. You don't tail anyone period.
Mistake 2: revving their engines at the red light to show off
Mistake 3: bumped his bumper
Mistake 4: did not stop his pickup after the accident
Mistake 5: poor decisions that he made and not having seat belts in the car
Mistake 6: forcing him into oncoming traffic
That should do for starters. And all this with your common-law wife and kids in the car?
"Nobody calls me Chicken." ~Marty McFly
The drivers of the other two vehicles involved also fled, leaving their vehicles unattended.
How ironic if the other two vehicles were also driven by illegals.
When I'm doing five over the limit, I don't feel that I need relinquish the fast lane.
"Gene Cruz said police told him that they found the Intrepid a few blocks away from the accident, but the driver was gone."
This is what they do - idiot illegals unregistered, no license or insurance, who cause major accidents and then take off.
Do the police even try to get them? It's not a high priority unless someone is killed.
This happened to a friend of mine - her vehicle was totalled and she broke her arm. When the police went to the house where they thought the owner of the car was, they were told nobody really spoke English and the car owner "went back to Mexico".
What does that mean?
yup , in case folks haven't noticed , Its a Free For All out there ,... I'm always aghast when someone drives "on the edge" and I see their family in the car!!
I know. It's a wonder more of us aren't killed on the highway. I hate to think too much about it.
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