Remembering Bethany: 17-Year-Old Dead, 3 Children Hospitalized
A 17-year-old girl was killed Tuesday after police said she ran a stop sign at the intersection of Marksheffel Road and Fontaine Boulevard in El Paso County. Her Honda sedan was broadsided by a Mountain View Electric utility truck.
Colorado State Patrol said Bethany Maes-Morales of Colorado Springs had three children in her car. The children, 15-year-old Briana Medina-Martinez, 11-year-old Curtis Martinez, and 6-year-old Grace Morales, all residents of Colorado Springs, were transported to Memorial Hospital. Medina-Martinez and Martinez suffered serious, but not life-threatening, injuries, while Morales suffered life-threatening injuries.
KRDO NewsChannel13 has learned that Maes-Morales and Morales are sisters, and that Morales continues to be in critical condition at Memorial Hospital. The relation between Medina-Martinez and Martinez remains unclear, but one of Maes’ aunts believes the children may have been friends.
The mother of Bethany and Grace has been identified as Lupita Morales, a Cimaron Fire District employee. The fire department and the Cimarron Hills Professional Firefighters Association have come together to help one of their own. Firefighters say one of them is always by Morales’ side during these hard times.
“We’ve been staying the night with her, and spending a lot of time with her. It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. It’s a very different situation and I can’t imagine how a mother feels,” said Fire Chief Matthew Love.
Troopers said the driver of the utility truck, 25-year-old Dane Snyder, was not hurt.
Trooper Brian Harris said the truck driver was headed north on Marksheffel Road at about 4:45 p.m.
“As it went through the intersection, a Honda was westbound on Fontaine and failed to stop for a stop sign,” said Harris.
He said everyone was wearing their seat belts and the children had proper restraints, but the force of the impact was enough to kill the driver of the sedan.
Westbound Fontaine and Southbound Marksheffel were closed in the area for several hours.
For monetary donations donations are being accepted at any First Bank location under the “Morales Memorial Fund,” and firefighters are currently looking for a car to give to the family, as their only vehicle was crushed in the crash.
