UTEP QB Vittatoe Involved In Crash That Led To Woman’s Death
EL PASO, TX — An 82-year old woman has died of injuries she suffered in a Westside collision last week.
The crash happened Wednesday morning on the 4600 block of N. Mesa St. Officers responding to the collision didn’t initially realize that Margarita Lopez had suffered life threatening injuries.
Police say the driver of that car, 38-year old Lilia Lugo, failed to yield the right of way to another car, which was driven by UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe, who was not cited at the scene. An accident report says Vittatoe was not speeding.
Police say they are still investigating.
Lopez died Monday after suffering internal bleeding that was not initially detected. The accident report says she was taking a blood thinning medication that may have contributed to her severe bleeding.
UTEP coach Mike Price says Vittatoe is deeply shaken by the incident. Vittatoe’s own mother was killed in a crash the day after his 17th birthday. He subsequently led his high school team, Euless Trinity, to a state championship.
Vittatoe missed a day of practice last week, suffering from what Price described as a “headache” after the collision.
He was able to play against SMU Saturday, playing a key role in the team’s 48-45 overtime victory.
Initial versions of this story incorrectly identified the victim as Margarita Lujan, as she was identified in the El Paso Police department news release. Her surname was actually Lopez. We have updated the story to reflect the revised information from police.
By Eric Huseby
