DENVER — Viral videos showing a horrific crash where a suspected drunk driver allegedly ran a red light and hit three women in a crosswalk in downtown Denver sent shock waves through the city. One of the women was dragged underneath the car for roughly half a block, according to police.
Her family identified her as 21-year-old Izabella Gomez, and her mother, Lea Lopez, said she is still recovering in the hospital.
▶️ WATCH: The family of Izabella Gomez shares her story
"She has a positive attitude. She's strong," said Lopez. "Every single moment, we're by her side.”
The crash happened in the early hours of Sunday morning, as crowds of people were coming out of bars near the intersection of Larimer Street and 20th Street.
The driver, identified as Cesario Serrato, 56, was arrested, but has not been formally charged. Court documents show he is being held on a charge of vehicular assault. His criminal history shows a number of traffic offenses leading up to the latest incident.
According to the probable cause statement in Serrato's case, he was driving with a revoked driver's license at the time of the crash. The document continued to say investigators saw signs of intoxication at the scene, including bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and a strong smell of alcohol.
Serrato was charged with one felony count of vehicular assault and two counts of misdemeanor assault. He is being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
Lopez said that her daughter sustained injuries that include broken ribs, a punctured spleen and liver, a broken pelvis on both sides, and third-degree burns covering the right side of her body.
"As of yesterday, we're looking at another six weeks before they can make a decision as to sending her to rehab for a few weeks, and then just go back to the hospital for continuous surgeries for her burns," Lopez said about the recovery time for her daughter. "She has good spirits as of now, you know, because that's just who she is.”
Lopez said her daughter spent years as a competitive cheerleader and a talented artist with a magnetic personality.
“She's full of life," Lopez said.
When Lopez learned investigators suspected Serrato of driving under the influence, she was outraged.
“The decisions that people make are so careless," said Lopez. "We're blessed because of who my daughter is. She's a strong individual. She's a fighter, and she was the only one strong enough to handle what this monster did.”
Gomez's family hopes her story makes others think twice before getting behind the wheel while impaired, especially over the long holiday weekend.
The 21-year-old's recovery is far from over. The family has established a GoFundMe to help with medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and monthly bills.
Crime
Suspected DUI driver accused of hitting 3 women has history of traffic offenses
Records obtained by Denver7 show Serrato had a driving-under-the-influence charge in Denver in 2018. That charge was dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea to reckless driving in 2020. Serrato was sentenced to one year of supervised probation as a result.
Also in 2020, Serrato was charged with possession of a firearm by a previous offender. In that case, records from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) database show he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of altering the identification of a weapon.
In 2021, Serrato had another initial DUI charge on his record from Aurora. In that case, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of driving while ability impaired (DWAI).
In addition, Serrato was ticketed in Feb. 2026 by Glendale Police for driving under restraint, failure to display proof of insurance, and marijuana possession.
Meanwhile, Denver County Court shows Serrato was cited for not having insurance and red light violations in Feb and March of 2026. A driving under restraint charge is also listed for February 2026.
The CBI database also shows charges of identity theft and forgery with guilty pleas accepted by the Arapahoe County court in 2011.
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