None of the five children involved in a fatal car crash Monday in southwest La Plata County were wearing seat belts, the Colorado State Patrol said Tuesday.
Mia Martinez, 8, of Durango died in the crash, said her sister, Destiny Barber, 15, of Pagosa Springs, who was not involved in the crash.
Barber said her sister loved pets, dolls and makeup.
“She was so sweet,” Barber said. “She loved animals. She was so gentle with them.”
The driver of a minivan carrying the children, Neysha Candelaria, 32, of Durango has been cited with careless driving causing death, said Capt. Adrian Driscoll with the State Patrol.
Candelaria was driving north on La Plata Highway (Colorado Highway 140) when she hit snow and ice and lost control of her 2005 Chevrolet Uplander, Driscoll said. The van crossed the center line into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a 2009 Kia Sorento.
The minivan carried five children, ages 1, 5, 7, 8 and 9, Driscoll said. At least three children were thrown from the vehicle; Candelaria and the 7-year-old remained inside the van upon impact.
Mia was pronounced dead Monday at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington. The other children were making good recoveries, Barber said.
The 1-year-old girl, Arianna Aguilar, and 9-year-old boy, Shawn Martinez, were flown to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, Barber said. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed they were in satisfactory condition Tuesday, meaning there was no probable threat to life.
The 7-year-old boy, Andreas Martinez, was treated at Mercy Regional Medical Center and released. Barber said he had a sprained foot. The 5-year-old boy, Angelo Aguilar, suffered bruising, Barber said. Angelo was not mentioned in earlier reports because he was taken from the scene by firefighters before State Patrol troopers arrived.
The school-age children attended Park Elementary School. A letter was sent home to parents notifying them of Mia’s death, and resources were made available for anyone who needed to talk to a counselor.
Candelaria was treated at San Juan Regional Medical Center and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
The driver of the Kia Sorento, Mindy Walck, 38, of Hesperus was taken to Mercy, where she was listed in good condition Tuesday, said hospital spokesman David Bruzzese.
The crash occurred at 8:23 a.m. Monday 1.6 miles north of the Colorado-New Mexico border. Excessive speed appears to have been a factor, Driscoll said.
Candelaria’s citation is a Class 1 traffic misdemeanor.
Assistant District Attorney Christian Champagne said there is a wide range of penalties for the citation, depending on culpability. Conviction could mean 10 days to a year in prison, or up to five years of probation. His office will review other possible charges, but he declined to speculate about which charges would be filed without reviewing the case.
“Generally, those cases don’t result in a lot of jail time,” Champagne said.
