OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (WTMJ) – A father and son were hoping to reunite for the holidays after 25 years apart.
That reunion ended up taking place in a hospital room instead after the father was the victim of an alleged drunken driver.
“I haven’t spent the holidays with my father for many years,” Jorge Martinez said.
Martinez flew into Chicago from Mexico to reconnect with his father, Alberto.
When Alberto didn’t show at the train station to pick him up, Martinez says he panicked.
“It’s kind of many emotions at the same time,” Martinez said.
Alberto was in the hospital with multiple broken bones, a brain bleed and damage to his heart.
Police say a drunken driver hit him on Saturday while he was in downtown Waukesha and left him in the street.
“You can’t leave people almost dying in the road because if the woman that called 911 didn’t call 911, my dad would be, or could be, dead right now,” Martinez said.
Martinez says his father worked tirelessly at Lake House Cafe in Oconomowoc to send money to his family in Mexico.
Now, he’s spending his time at his father’s hospital bed.
“My dad is my hero. He came all this time ago here and worked hard for us, to give us everything,” Martinez added. “He helps all the family there in Mexico and in one word, he’s my hero.”
On Monday, the woman accused of hitting Alberto faced a judge.
Tara Felten is charged with hit-and-run, as well as intoxicated use of a vehicle; it would be her third OWI offense.
Martinez has a message for Felten and others who get behind the wheel while impaired.
“Please don’t drive and drink,” Martinez said. “He was on the road almost dying. You have to be responsible about your stuff.”
The family started a GoFundMe to help cover the growing medical bills.
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