KarenMarie
Elite Member
As sad and stupid as this is... it angers me that the two ppl who are the blame for this... her common law husband and the other driver... will be the ones to walk away from it.
"Rage" wreck devastates
Text
A mother of three was brain-dead and her children injured after the driver of another vehicle bumped their pickup into oncoming traffic in an apparent holiday road-rage incident.
The brother of the woman's common-law husband said the bumping was deliberate, but police were still investigating the crash. The driver of the other vehicle fled.
Alicia Arana, 26, was thrown from a pickup driven by her common-law husband, Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr., 28, early Tuesday. The family was headed home in Denver from a Fourth of July celebration.
A photo of a family portrait shows Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr. and his common-law wife, Alicia Arana, with their children: Savannah,9, Jesus Manuel Jr., 5, and Sierra, 7. (Post / John Leyba)
Family members say the driver of a silver Dodge Intrepid forced the family into oncoming traffic.
Police said only that the cars collided, sending the vehicles spinning out of control and the pickup 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.
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 at about 12:43 a.m. near South Sheridan Boulevard and West Cedar Avenue.
Cruz 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 a 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 feared for the safety of the children after the driver of the Intrepid got angry and began throwing beer bottles at the pickup.
"My brother lost his wife and his children's mother,"
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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 alongside him, forcing him into oncoming traffic, Gene Cruz said.
Cruz's vehicle was struck by an oncoming large sport utility vehicle, 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 that the driver was gone. The SUV was not registered, which may be why the driver of that vehicle also took off, he said.
Cruz hit his head on the back window of the truck, suffering a gash that required five staples to close. He also broke his shoulder.
His wife was thrown from the truck and struck her head.
Sierra and Jesus Manuel Jr. have fractured skulls, but doctors at Children's Hospital told the family that they will recover. The boy also had fluid in his lungs. Savannah suffered minor injuries.
"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 fcardona@denverpost.com.
"Rage" wreck devastates
Text
A mother of three was brain-dead and her children injured after the driver of another vehicle bumped their pickup into oncoming traffic in an apparent holiday road-rage incident.
The brother of the woman's common-law husband said the bumping was deliberate, but police were still investigating the crash. The driver of the other vehicle fled.
Alicia Arana, 26, was thrown from a pickup driven by her common-law husband, Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr., 28, early Tuesday. The family was headed home in Denver from a Fourth of July celebration.
A photo of a family portrait shows Jesus Manuel Cruz Sr. and his common-law wife, Alicia Arana, with their children: Savannah,9, Jesus Manuel Jr., 5, and Sierra, 7. (Post / John Leyba)
Family members say the driver of a silver Dodge Intrepid forced the family into oncoming traffic.
Police said only that the cars collided, sending the vehicles spinning out of control and the pickup 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.
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 at about 12:43 a.m. near South Sheridan Boulevard and West Cedar Avenue.
Cruz 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 a 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 feared for the safety of the children after the driver of the Intrepid got angry and began throwing beer bottles at the pickup.
"My brother lost his wife and his children's mother,"
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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 alongside him, forcing him into oncoming traffic, Gene Cruz said.
Cruz's vehicle was struck by an oncoming large sport utility vehicle, 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 that the driver was gone. The SUV was not registered, which may be why the driver of that vehicle also took off, he said.
Cruz hit his head on the back window of the truck, suffering a gash that required five staples to close. He also broke his shoulder.
His wife was thrown from the truck and struck her head.
Sierra and Jesus Manuel Jr. have fractured skulls, but doctors at Children's Hospital told the family that they will recover. The boy also had fluid in his lungs. Savannah suffered minor injuries.
"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 fcardona@denverpost.com.
