Jose Menjivar: Family mourns death of woman, son killed by drunk driver having 3 previous DUI convictions

BROOMFIELD, COLORADO: A mother and her teenage son were fatally struck by a pickup truck driven by a man with three previous DUI convictions who was allegedly intoxicated and speeding at the time of the crash.

Jose Menjivar arrested for vehicular homicide

The tragic incident occurred on December 12 at 1.45 pm in Broomfield, Colorado, when Jose Menjivar, 37, slammed his Toyota truck into the Mazda CX-5 of Melissa Powell, 46, and her son Riordan, 16, according to 9News.

Menjivar was driving up to 100 mph in a 40-mph zone and had passed several other vehicles before hitting the Powells’ car in a “front to side manner,” causing it to hit a tree, the report said.

Police, who arrived at the scene, found Menjivar unconscious and smelling of alcohol, KDVR reported. They also discovered at least two empty beer cans in his truck and another one on the road near the crash site, another publication reported.

A blood test revealed that Menjivar had a blood alcohol level of .249, more than three times the legal limit, the report added. He was taken to a hospital for his injuries and then booked into Broomfield County Jail, the Denver Gazette rereported.

Jose Menjivar had a revoked license and a history of DUIs

It was later revealed that Menjivar had a revoked license and a history of driving while impaired. He had pleaded guilty to DUI charges in Boulder County in 2007 and 2016, the publication reported.

His license was revoked on July 5, 2019, and was supposed to remain so until July 5, 2024, but he had borrowed his brother’s truck on the day of the fatal crash, the report said.

Menjivar is now facing two counts of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence — fourth or subsequent offense and driving under the influence per se — fourth or subsequent offense, both felonies. He could face up to 36 years in prison, if convicted of the most serious charge.

Family and friends remember Melissa and Riordan Powell

The Powells’ family and friends are devastated by the loss of Melissa and Riordan who were described as “a light in many of our lives.”

Melissa was a mother-of-three and Riordan was a student at Broomfield High School and Boulder Technical Education Center, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up to help the family with the funeral and other expenses.

“Melissa and Riordan were both a light in many of our lives, and it is hard to even understand and grasp the situation,” the fundraiser said.

“This inconceivable loss has left the Powell family grappling with grief and unforeseen financial burdens as we head into the holiday season," it added.

Melissa’s sister-in-law Kim Powell told the Gazette that “an immeasurable void has been left in our family and communities, and the world feels less bright without them.”

She also thanked the public for their support and asked for privacy to allow the family to grieve. “We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of support during this difficult time of year, in which our family has sustained so much loss, and ask for privacy to allow us to grieve,” she said.