In colombia, Accidents caused by drunk drivers continue to increase, leaving fatalities on the roads. Séptimo Día learned of a case that outraged the inhabitants of the city of Armenia during Holy Week in 2024. There, A family declares itself destroyed by the actions of a drunk driver.
Marta Rosa Lara remembered her husband and father of her 7-year-old daughter, Arles Arbeláez, in the Caracol Televisión news program.a paisa with white skin and blue eyes, recognized at 50 years old for his charisma when serving customers at the supermarket where he worked.
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On March 29, 2024, around 9 in the morning, Arles said goodbye to his family and rode his motorcycle to his job in the north of the city. But, when the clock struck 9:27 am, as recorded on security camera video, The man was hit by a truck that invaded his lane at high speed. Arbeláez lost his life instantly.
Melissa Cortés Guzmán, 29, decided that morning to drive her Audi truck, according to witnesses, drunk and at high speed along the same route that Arles took to go to the supermarket. “He was in a very high state of intoxication that was evident,” Marta Isabel Ocampo, a lawyer whose car was also crashed by the driver that same morning, told Séptimo Día.
According to the lawyer, Melissa Cortés decided to evade the mishap and speed up: “She didn’t get off at any time, she didn’t look at what had happened, she continued on her way.” He also claimed that only minutes later he again encountered the Audi truck that had hit his vehicle.
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The lawyer’s sister complained to the driver about the impact, but according to what she said, Melissa Cortés’ reaction was reckless: “What she did was accelerate, with the front of the car she hit my vehicle and I don’t know how the vehicles became embedded, so she couldn’t continue accelerating nor could I go back,” stated Marta Isabel Ocampo.
The lawyer concerned about the driver’s condition stated that she wanted to stop her, but Instead of stopping, Melissa Cortés accelerated and passed in front of Ocampo’s vehicle. “When it passed over it, it dragged my vehicle again and we hit a red car that was crossing. It was out of sight in a second,” the lawyer told Séptimo Día.
Seconds later, Arles Arbeláez, who was riding his motorcycle to work, was hit by the truck driven by Melissa Cortés.
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The Police preventively detained the driver to perform a breathalyzer test, which showed grade three, that is, the highest level of alcohol. In addition, he did not have a valid driver’s license or mandatory insurance.
Melissa Cortés was charged with manslaughter, a crime that has a minimum sentence of four years and that she can also pay at home.
See the complete investigation of Séptimo Día here:
