A Santa Monica teenager became an amputee and remains hospitalized after a suspected drunk driver slammed into him.
On June 2, 18-year-old Gelvy Ortiz was sitting at a bus stop on Wilshire Boulevard and 26th Street when he was struck by a suspected DUI driver.
The collision left Gelvy with life-altering injuries, resulting in the amputation of his left leg.
Doctors are still working to save his right leg as the teen remains hospitalized at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Gelvy is the youngest of four brothers who immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala together in search of a better life. The siblings became orphaned at a young age when they lost their mother to breast cancer.
As a student at West Adams Preparatory High School, Gelvy thrived in academics and was an avid soccer player. He planned to enlist in the U.S. Army after high school.
But now, those dreams have been put on hold.
David Ortiz, Gelvy’s oldest brother, tells KTLA that life has not been easy since their mother’s death, but they hope their fighting spirit will help them overcome any obstacles that life throws their way.
The suspected drunk driver, identified as John Edward Alevizos, posted bail shortly after he was arrested for the crash.
The Ortiz Family just wants justice for everything that has happened to Gelvy.
Gelvy was able to thrive in school because his brothers worked hard to support their family, but now they’re unable to work as they’ve dedicated their time to caring for their youngest brother on his long road to recovery ahead.
A GoFundMe campaign was created to help the family with mounting medical bills and expenses.