DWI charged in I-40 crash

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

THOREAU — A Shiprock woman missed her exit to Thoreau or Prewitt and rolled her car injuring four children, an adult male passenger and herself on Interstate 40 about 4:59 a.m., Saturday. Police believe the driver may have been intoxicated.

New Mexico State Police Officer Anthony Molina, who was the investigating officer at the scene, said Virginia James, 31, was driving east on Interstate Highway 40 and swerved into a Knight Trucking Co., 18-wheel truck, skidded into the soft shoulder of the highway, and rolled the Mitsubishi she was driving 11 miles west of Milan at mile marker 68.

She is charged in connection with one count of aggravated DWI, four counts of child abuse and five counts of great bodily injury.

Molina said the two boys ages 9 and 11, and two girls, ages 3 and 5 were all injured, as was a male adult passenger, Jason Delgarito, 31, also of Shiprock. State police have not released the names of the children.

The 11-year-old boy complained of problems breathing and chest injuries, Molina said.

James suffered a back injury and minor cuts and bruises. Delgarito was air evacuated to University of New Mexico Medical Center, Molina said, with head trauma, internal injuries and paralysis of his legs. The other three children had a variety of minor injuries. The medical center declined to confirm whether Delgarito was treated or admitted, citing patient privacy.

Neither of the adults nor the 11-year-old boy were wearing seat belts, Molina said.

"From what I could gather at the scene, James was taking the children to their father's house in either Thoreau or Prewitt," Molina said. One of the children was James's and Delgarito's.

"She either fell asleep at the wheel or was so intoxicated she wasn't paying attention and swerved the car into the truck," he said.

The trucker did not stop, said NMSP Sgt. Rod Huffman.

Agencies across the state are looking for it," he said.

"It is my opinion that the trucker may not even have felt the car hit the side of his truck," Molina said.'

Molina said if James had been able to get off the interstate at the exit to her children's father's residence in either Thoreau or Prewitt, or had not been drinking, this accident would not have happened.

NMSP Officer Randy Larchner assisted Molina in the investigation and stayed at the scene for a tow truck so Molina could follow up at the hospital.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197, or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.