In November 2024, Jaylah Martinez, who was then six years old, was riding in the car in Santa Fe with her father and her ten-year-old cousin. When her father was driving on Galisteo Road, another car turned left from Rodeo Road and crashed into their car. Both Jaylah and her cousin were injured seriously enough to require hospitalization. The driver of the car that struck Jaylah’s family’s car was Dylan Michael Ortiz-Delgado. Police tried to arrest him on suspicion of reckless driving and driving while intoxicated. According to the police report, he tried to disarm the officer who was arresting him, which means that he also faces charges for resisting arrest. No matter the outcome of the criminal case against him, Jaylah and her family must live with her severe injuries and the associated medical expenses. If you have been injured by a drunk driver, contact a Santa Fe motor vehicle accident lawyer.
Injured Child’s Family Sets Up Donation Campaign to Cover Medical Expenses
When first responders arrived at the scene of the accident, they were not sure whether she would survive; she had a severe head injury. When she arrived in the hospital, doctors placed her in a medically induced coma, including breathing with a ventilator, so that she could get through the effects of brain swelling. After weeks in the intensive care unit, she was able to wake up, and she eventually returned home from the hospital, but she faces a long recovery.
Jaylah’s cousin’s injuries were less severe, but the cousin still required inpatient treatment in the hospital. A single night in the hospital, even for patients with health insurance, costs more than most families can afford.
Jaylah’s relatives set up a GoFundMe campaign, requesting $20,000 for her medical expenses. As of June 2025, they had raised more than $17,000. Most donors contributed $100 or less. The fact that their donations added up to more than $17,000 shows how many friends the family has and how many generous strangers there are in the world. Despite this, $20,000 will barely make a dent in the expenses and financial losses Jaylah will incur throughout her life because of the injuries she sustained as a child. In the coming years, she will require many visits to specialist physicians and therapists.
Jaylah’s family has the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against Ortiz-Delgado or any other parties legally responsible for the accident, such as the owner of the car, if it belonged to someone other than the driver. For example, if Ortiz-Delgado consumed alcoholic beverages at a bar before causing the accident, the family has the right to name the bar that served him too many drinks as a defendant, citing dram shop liability.
Contact Slate Stern About Personal Injury Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured in car accidents. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
Sources
https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/santa-fe-man-charged-after-crash-sends-2-children-to-hospital
https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/young-girl-faces-road-to-recovery-after-dwi-crash
Photo by Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash