Tragedy struck an El Paso intersection last Sunday when a U-turn led to a collision resulting in the city's 26th traffic fatality of the year, a crash that now leaves one family mourning the loss of a 10-year-old girl. According to the El Paso Police Department, officers were called to the scene at Doniphan and Redd Road, where 51-year-old Ramos attempted a U-turn and was hit by a 2016 Dodge driven by Gutierrez.
The impact caromed with deadly precision, Gutierrez and the young girl named Martinez who was in the car were rushed to the hospital, where, despite best efforts to save her, Martinez succumbed to her injuries, Gutierrez's condition remains unreported, and the police have enlisted their Special Traffic Investigations unit to unravel the threads of this latest misfortune. This year's grim tally remains slightly lower than the previous year's count, which stood at 28 by the same date, a small mercy in a story of loss.
In addition to the ongoing investigation, the El Paso Police Department's release made no mention of any charges at present, though that could change pending results from the Special Traffic Investigations unit's assessment. With each crash, questions loom about roadway safety, about the costs of human error or mechanical failings, and about the families left picking up the pieces in the wake of such sudden and irreversible events.
