Mother of woman killed in wreck sues bar, driver’s estate
Teenager, who also died in 2016 head-on crash, was legally impaired, tests show
She was a dedicated teacher, supportive friend and doting auntie, according to her obituary. He was a bright teenager who loved the Denver Broncos, cars and video games, according to his obituary.
One year ago, they collided while driving opposite directions on U.S. 84 near Medanales, in rural Rio Arriba County.
Dylan Romero, 19, died at the scene. Denise Archuleta, 45, lived long enough to be extracted from the wreckage of her vehicle and transported to the hospital in Española where, despite the efforts of medical personnel, she died.
Her death was a devastating blow to the community of El Rito, where she had taught for many years, according to Brian Henderson, principal of El Rito Elementary School, where Archuleta had been teaching third grade at the time of her death.
Archuleta’s mother since has filed a lawsuit in state District Court against Romero’s estate and Los Caminos Bar in Abiquiú, which the complaint says served Romero liquor to the point of intoxication before he got in his car and later drifted across the highway center line, slamming head-on into Archuleta’s car.
Romero’s blood alcohol level was measured twice after the crash, according to the complaint, with one test showing his blood alcohol level to be 0.08 — the legal threshold for presumed impairment for drivers of legal drinking age in New Mexico — and the other showing his blood alcohol to be 0.10. According to the lawsuit, Los Caminos Bar served the teenager alcohol before the crash even though he was not of legal drinking age.
“[Romero] became intoxicated and his judgment faculties and driving ability were seriously impaired,” the lawsuit says. “His impairment was a direct proximate cause of the head on collision with Denise Archuleta, resulting in her injuries and death.”
Archuleta’s family says in their lawsuit that Los Caminos owner Geraldine Martinez and her employees had a duty to use ordinary care in serving and selling alcohol, and they failed.
Their lawsuit seeks to collect actual and punitive damages and legal fees from Martinez, Romero’s estate and Los Caminos Bar.
Martinez said Thursday she had no knowledge of the incident until a friend called her recently to tell her it had been reported in the Rio Grande Sun newspaper. As of Thursday, she said, she had not been served with a copy of the complaint.
“I was shocked when they told me,” she said. “It’s totally untrue, and that was the first I ever heard about it.”
Martinez said the bar has been owned by her family since the 1960s and “never, never, in all the years this bar has been in business” has the establishment ever been cited for violating liquor laws.
The state Regulation and Licensing Department and the law firm handling the lawsuit did not return a call seeking comment Thursday. Attempts to reach relatives of Romero and Archuleta were unsuccessful.
Contact Phaedra Haywood at 505-9863068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican. Follow her on Twitter @phaedraann.