IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — A suspected drunk driver crashed into a home in Idaho Springs leaving one family with nothing except what they could grab in a few minutes.
On Jan. 18 the Idaho Springs Police Department was called to Colorado Boulevard where the people inside reported a car smashed into their home and drove away.
Idaho Springs police said the suspect backed out of the home and struck multiple parked cars in the process.
The suspect was later identified as 60-year-old Daniel Martinez of Empire.
Three people were inside sleeping at the time of the crash however, no one was injured.
“It was amazing, it was like the house exploded,” said Kristin Marston who has lived in Idaho Springs for four years. “It’s not something you ever expect to happen. I was like a movie!”
Just a few hours later at approximately 10:37 a.m., the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to an alleged report of a stolen vehicle near Empire.
Deputies contacted Martinez who was the owner of a 2020 Silver Dodge 2500 truck who initially wanted to report his truck as stolen. He told deputies he found the severely damaged truck a few blocks from his home.
After further questioning by deputies, Martinez ultimately confessed to having been the driver of the truck that had struck the home in Idaho Springs and his truck had not been stolen.
The Idaho Springs police chief said they planned to file charges Tuesday afternoon. The charges they are requesting include reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to notify the police and three counts of reckless endangerment.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Martinez, and the Idaho Springs Police Department is asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Clear Creek County Dispatch Center at 303-679-2393.
Due to the severe damage to the home, residents were allowed to gather a small number of personal belongings and they were taken to various Idaho Springs hotels for a week.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page.
About two-thirds of the home is damaged, the address numbers were ripped off the home, two columns supporting the roof were taken out and the front door glass was broken among other things.
Marston said she and her family have to start from scratch.
“I’m irate because this man is still sitting at home free, but my family is struggling to go on with our lives and I don’t see how this is fair,” said Marston.
