SANTA FE, N.M. — The survivor of a deadly wrong-way crash near Santa Fe said she’s happy to be alive after the 100 mph collision.
Last month, Vanessa Carrillo, 19, was driving an ambulance when she was hit by a suspected drunken driver who was traveling on the wrong side of the road.
"I remember seeing headlights coming at me and thinking that was kind of weird," Carrillo said.
Despite her quiet voice, the 19-year-old ambulance driver has a lot of fight in her.
"I’m really happy to be here because I could have died. It’s really scary to think about that," Carrillo said.
Carrillo broke 35 bones in the crash, 15 of those were in her face. She has pins and screws in her legs and won’t be able to walk for months. She also needs another surgery to fix her broken nose.
Kylene Holmes and Jennifer Belvin had been drinking at the Cowgirl BBQ in Santa Fe and refused a ride home, according to police.
Police said they estimate that Holmes, who was killed in the crash, was hitting speeds of 100 mph before hitting Carrillo’s ambulance.
"It’s sad that one of them died and everything, but I don’t feel bad for her because she shouldn’t have been doing what she was doing," Carrillo said.
The young ambulance driver said she’s frustrated because the accident could have been prevented.
"If she would have just listened to the guy that told her that he’d get her a cab, it would have ended differently," Carrillo said.
Carrillo said she hopes that the passenger faces charges in the accident.
"She’s just as responsible. She got in the car with her friend. She could have stayed out of the car and said I’m not going to be responsible if she hurts anyone," Carrillo said.
Carrillo said she’s not going to let the crash slow her down. She still plans on attending the University of New Mexico to become an emergency room doctor.
