Family of suspect in food truck crash speaks out

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The family of the driver who is accused of crashing into a food truck and their customers on Central is now speaking out after a judge decided to hold him in jail until his trial.

KOB 4 spoke with the family of Abraham Alvarez Sunday. They say they don’t agree with everything that was said in court.

The main issues they brought up were the accusations that Alvarez was under the influence of drugs when the crash happened. The state is still waiting on the results of a blood test.

“First thing first, I want to apologize on behalf of my brother. He feels bad that all of that happened and people were impacted, and stuff like that. We want to apologize for anyone who got affected and got hit, it was a lot,” said Carlos Enriquez, Alvarez’s brother. 

Four people were injured earlier this month when 18-year-old Abraham Alvarez’s car spun out and crashed into a line of people near a food truck on Central. 

Police say he was drag racing, but his family has a different story.

“Our little brother tells us he got hit from the back and that made him spin out, and that’s why he got into an accident,” said Enriquez. 

They pulled up photos of his car after the crash, pointing out that only the passenger side is damaged.

But none of this came up in court last week. Instead, Alvarez’s lawyer focused on two points: he was cooperative and there is no proof of intoxication.

Alvarez is facing four counts of great bodily harm by DWI. Police officers testified they suspected he was intoxicated the night of the crash—an accusation his family denies. 

“When I saw they were saying he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, I couldn’t believe it that they were saying that. And there hasn’t been no blood work or test to prove he was on drugs,” said Enriquez.  

Alvarez’s lawyer says those shouldn’t be the charges until they have proof.

“We can speculate what a blood draw, what they may hope it shows or anticipates it to show, but there’s no evidence right now of a breath card or a blood draw,” said Jordan Haddad, Alvarez’s attorney.

If the blood test comes back negative, the charges will be lessened to aggravated battery. But the victims in this case say the damage has already been done. 

“We were struck by Mr. Alvarez’s vehicle,” said Christine Gerhardt, a crash victim. 

Gerhardt told the judge she was on a date with her husband that night. While she has been released from the hospital with minor injuries, her husband is still in the intensive care unit. 

“10 broken ribs, broken jaw, broken pelvis. He’s had to say goodbye to his kids prior to these procedures. He’s had to sign up on paperwork that I would be the person to make medical decisions on his behalf. So he’s had to face his mortality in all of this,” said Gerhardt. 

On top of both of them getting injured, the crash also totaled the couple’s car. So, Gerhardt’s family has set up a GoFundMe Page to help cover their medical expenses and help buy a new car.