A man riding his bike near the Wendy’s at 2410 E. Highway 66 was struck by van and horrifically pinned under it until bystanders rescued him July 18.

And the driver, David T. Yazzie of Gallup, appeared intoxicated, possibly under the influence of controlled substances.

Gallup Police Department Officer Luke Martin responded to the scene, and found Johnny Lee sitting on the ground, east of the vehicle that hit him. He was suffering from shoulder pain and multiple abrasions. His bike sustained damaged, and Luke noted in his report that the handlebars were bent downward.

When Martin interviewed Yazzie, he said that he just got off work from KFC east, and was picking up his nephew from work at Wendy’s when he heard yelling. He then stepped out of his van, and in a panic he tried to “help lift up the vehicle to get the boy.”

“Yazzie advised that he and other bystanders were able to pull the boy out who yelled “my leg, my leg” and “I’m going to die,” the report states.

Meanwhile, another officer investigating the vehicle vs. pedestrian  scene informed Martin there was possibly Marijuana in the van.

“I then observed two round green plant-like substances in the interior of the driver side door handle. The substance appeared to be marijuana; I also observed a prescription bottle in the lower driver side door pocket,” Martin stated, in his report.

When Martin asked Yazzie, 34, why there was marijuana in the vehicle, he told him that a man approached him in the KFC parking lot, and he accepted it for “someone else.”

He claimed the prescription bottle of unspecified pills belonged to his wife.

Martin noticed the classic signs of intoxication as he interviewed Yazzie.

“I observed that Yazzie had bloodshot watery eyes, appeared disorientated, spoke very low, and was extremely calm during the incident,” Martin stated.

Yazzie denied being under the influence. He agreed to take field sobriety tests, and didn’t fare well, according to the report.

After gaining his permission, Yazzie was transported to a local hospital for a blood test to determine whether he was under the influence of controlled substances. He was also driving with a suspended/revoked license.

The results from the blood draw could take weeks, and will determine whether Yazzie was under the influence.

Yazzie was booked into McKinley County Adult Detention Center July 18 for great bodily harm by vehicle (driving while under influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug); aggravated DWI (bodily injury, second DWI); and driving while license is revoked (DWI-related).

Magistrate Judge April Silversmith recused herself from the case, and it’s now in the hands of Magistrate Judge Cynthia Sanders.

By Babette Herrmann

Sun Editor