Famous woman sleeping on a bench at a bus stop was killed by a driver charged with drunk driving

Myrna Lemus Estrada, 50, was killed on July 14, 2024 in a hit-and-run accident caused by a suspected drunk driver.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) – There has been an outpouring of support for a woman killed in her sleep at a Lakewood bus stop early Sunday morning.

The woman who was killed was known to many people who traveled on Alameda in southwest Denver and Lakewood. Police said the car was driven by a man who is now facing drunken driving charges and crashed into the bus stop around 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

The vehicle had just passed South Depew Street when it veered off West Alameda Avenue. When police arrived, the driver said he had disappeared.

“When we cordoned off a restricted area, we were able to locate the driver a short time later a few blocks away as he attempted to flee,” said John Romero, Lakewood spokesman.

Investigators believe that the 23-year-old driver was hiding behind a bush when he was arrested.

Woman found under bus stop after car accident

Back at the bus stop, police said they found the body of a 50-year-old woman who had presumably been sleeping on the bench under the bus stop. Her family identified her as Myrna Lemus Estrada.

Many strangers who had seen Estrada often stopped by throughout Sunday and Monday to lay flowers and write prayers.

For many years, Estrada was a fixture on Alameda.

For a while, she spent a lot of time in West Alameda and South Knox Court. Eventually, she moved to the Lakewood bus stop.

“She was just sleeping and never caused any property damage, no matter where she slept. She always cleaned up her place,” said Lakewood resident Judy Mahany.

FOX31’s Vicente Arenas spoke with Estrada’s son.

““She was very kind and kept to herself a lot. She was very particular about makeup and always managed to have makeup on her face. There were times when we brought her home and she disappeared in the middle of the night. We looked for her for days. She just wanted to be left alone,” said Myrna’s son Alejandro Estrada.

On a GoFundMe page set up to cover Estrada’s funeral expenses, the family said Estrada had suffered from mental health issues since the murder of her youngest son.

According to police, the driver who allegedly hit Estrada was under the influence of alcohol and was half a block from a sign urging people to drive sober.

The driver has been identified as 23-year-old Diego Araque Rivas. He faces several charges, including vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol, hit and run causing death, and driving without a license.