Alberto Mota Faces Charges In Alleged Road Rage Motorcycle Crash On I-25
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Colorado State Patrol announced several charges Thursday for the driver of a truck who was caught on camera driving into a motorcycle on Interstate 25, including attempted first-degree murder. Alberto Mota turned himself in Wednesday, while the victim, Quentin Quidley, 54, recovers at home in Michigan.
"I'm just so thankful to be alive, I really have no complaints, I'm going to heal, I'll live," Quidley told reporters on a video conference call on Thursday. "I mean, I'm a walking miracle."
He got out of surgery last week and has a cast on his arm and leg. He said he has a broken collar and rib bones, feeling the pain most at night.
"I'm a miracle to be alive," Quidley said. "It's scary when accidents like that take place."
Before 2 p.m. on Aug. 16, he was traveling with family and friends in a group of motorcycles heading south on I-25, one mile north of the Castle Rock Parkway exit. In the far left lane with two other motorcycles, the black Ford F-250 truck traveled several lanes to collide with Quidley, according to CSP. The suspect initially told investigators he made an unsafe lane change. But after reconstructing the scene, speaking to witnesses, and reviewing dashcam video, CSP filed several charges against the driver based on that evidence.
"I had actually said, 'What's your deal?' he looked at me and that truck drove into me," Quidley recalled. "I saw the ground come up, I said, 'This is going to hurt.'"
Charges recommended to prosecutors include attempted first-degree murder, extreme indifference, felony menacing, vehicular assault, bond violation, child abuse, driving under restraint, reckless endangerment. The additional charges factor in that Mota was previously out on another bond and traveling at the time with a 12-year-old girl as well as a canceled license.
"This was an intentional act, this was not a simple crash," said Major J.P. Burt with the Colorado State Patrol. "We feel very strongly that we can prove in court that this was an intentional act."
Quidley says he does not know the suspect but does remember that a few miles prior to the collision, he passed the truck. While he is only beginning his long road of recovery, he can already make light of the incident and find a silver lining.
"I have a beautiful smile, I mean I have a movie star smile and a lot of money in my teeth," he said. "I didn't chip a tooth; I'm banged up but I still have my smile."
Quidley plans to get back on a motorcycle as soon as he can ride all over the country, including Colorado, when his health allows for it.
"The end result is I'm going to be able to ride again and then I'm living so life's good," he said. "We will be there as soon as I can ride again."