(PUEBLO WEST, Colo.) — For more than a week, the person believed to have caused a terrible car crash that killed three people in Pueblo West has not been arrested. The victims’ family members are now desperately looking for answers.
The victims, two loving grandparents, Marie Quintana, 56, and Jesus Guerrero Lopez, 48, along with their 12-year-old grandson, Alonzo, are from Aurora, Colorado. On August 26, the night of the incident, they were on their way back home from visiting friends in Pueblo West.
In the blink of an eye, the family was irrevocably shattered, their lives forever altered.
According to police, a BMW drifted into the wrong lane on North Purcell Boulevard and collided head-on with their vehicle. The impact was catastrophic, claiming the lives of all three family members. One victim was tragically ejected from the vehicle upon impact.
Rita Guerrero Lopez, a grieving family member, spoke about the last time she was with them.
“We were talking about what we were going to do for Labor Day… We were talking about if we should have carne asada… We didn’t know we were going to be doing this for Labor Day,” said Lopez.
Instead of planning a festive Labor Day celebration, the family found themselves setting up a memorial at the very site of their loved ones’ untimely demise.
“Right now, I feel like I’m lost. Like I’m not thinking right. I don’t feel good. I can’t sleep. I’m thinking about the three all the time,” Lopez tearfully expressed.
On Tuesday, Sept. 5, a memorial of three crosses stood on North Purcell Boulevard as a poignant reminder of the tragedy. Shards of glass and fragments of their demolished vehicle still lie on the ground in front of the memorial.
“It’s tough losing one. But the toughest part is Alonzo, 12 years old. He had his whole life ahead of him,” said Jasper Quintana, Marie’s brother.
The 32-year-old driver of the BMW survived the ordeal, escaping with non-life-threatening injuries. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office has not yet made an arrest, leaving the family grappling with questions.
“That’s the hardest part, not knowing, not knowing what happened… I am searching for answers,” said Quintana.
In a statement, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said that they are working with the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in continuing to investigate the incident. Factors such as alcohol and speed are under consideration, though the process seems agonizingly slow for the anguished family.
“I know they have a process to go through, whether it’s right or wrong in your mind, you still don’t understand it, and you can’t understand why it’s taken so long, why information doesn’t come out… You always hear about this happening to somebody else, but you never think it happened to your family,” said Quintana with tears in his eyes.
That night, the three of them were together, as they always were. Alonzo’s grandparents were pillars of support in his young life. They attended his swim practices, cheered at every school event, took him on unforgettable vacations to Disney Land, and to visit family in Texas.
“They were always together, doing everything together, the three of them… They were here together, and they left together,” said Lopez.
A service will be held on Wednesday, September 6, at 1:00 p.m. at Horan & McContay. The family has set up a GoFundMe in their memory.
Now, this once-happy family is left with nothing but memories and broken promises.
In tears, Lopez shared what her brother had promised them: “He would tell us, ‘I’ll always be there for you, no matter what. I’ll always be there for you and take care of you. He couldn’t make a promise. He couldn’t make the promise.”
