A 63-year-old Santa Fe woman, suspected of having struck a motorcyclist with her SUV, has been arrested on suspicion of hit and run, aggravated driving while intoxicated (DWI) and other charges.
She reportedly was driving her Toyota RAV4 SUV along St. Michael's Drive in Santa Fe a little before 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9. The 51-year-old motorcyclists was seen driving eastbound along that same roadway when the SUV collided with him head-on.
Witnesses to the crash noted that despite the fact that the woman's SUV had sustained significant damage in the crash, she took off after striking the man. Several witnesses had fortunately been able to take down the woman's license plate number and provided it to police.
One of these witnesses followed the woman as she fled the scene of the crash. She was later stopped at Calle Contento by police.
When asked by officers if she'd consumed any alcohol earlier in the day, the woman noted that she'd just left a downtown area restaurant, Tomasita's, where she'd consumed a single margarita. She said that she had that drink right around 1:00 p.m., approximately one hour prior to the crash. She noted that she had no recollection of the accident she'd reportedly been involved in.
Officers noted that the woman's speech was slurred, her eyes were bloodshot and that blood was visible on the pads of her fingers as they began to interview her. There was a scent of alcohol that emanated from both her and her vehicle as well.
The woman was then transported to the hospital so that her blood could be tested. A police report for the crash does not reflect what the woman's blood alcohol content (BAC) was though.
As for the motorcyclists, although still alive when transported from the crash scene, he died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
If you've lost a loved one in an accident with a drunk or otherwise negligent driver, then you may be entitled to collect funeral and other costs related to that individual's untimely demise. In learning more about the circumstances surrounding your case, a Los Lunas car accident attorney can advise you as to the merits of you filing a claim.
Source: Albuquerque Journal, "Santa Fe woman faces charges in fatal crash with motorcyclist," Mark Oswald, Sep. 11, 2017
No Comments
Leave a comment