A 20-year-old man has been detained and charged in an alleged drunk-driving crash that hurt five people, including two seriously, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
Jorge Alberto Gomez Alvarez, 20, was detained and charged with two counts of drunken assault with a car. His bond amount was set at $10,000.
On August 29, about 12:15 p.m., El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the intersection of Ponchatula and Mandeville in East El Paso County to investigate a motor vehicle crash.
The Special Traffic Investigators unit (STI) rushed to the scene and took over the investigation.
The inquiry revealed that an off-road vehicle was heading westbound in the 14900 block of Mandeville. The vehicle was driven by 20-year-old Gomez Alvarez and had five adolescent passengers aged 15 to 16, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators discovered that the off-road vehicle was driving on the road when the driver lost control, leading it to roll over many times.
All five adolescent passengers were injured and taken to nearby hospitals for further medical attention. The Sheriff’s Office reported that two of the passengers, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old adolescent, suffered serious injuries.
Investigators concluded that Gomez Alvarez was inebriated at the time of the accident. He was detained and put into El Paso County Detention Facility.
“This crash is another reminder of the serious consequences that can result from mixing alcohol, unsafe driving, and off-road vehicles on public roadways,” Oscar Ugarte said. “These vehicles are not legal on public roads, and driving while inebriated puts everyone in danger. Five young individuals were hurt, two critically, as a result of preventable mistakes. We will continue to work to keep drunk drivers off our roads and make those who imperil others responsible.”
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