An alleged drunken driver drove off Interstate 40, careened through the Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post in west Albuquerque and ended up in the complex’s swimming pool Wednesday morning.
KOB-TV in Albuquerque reported:
“In another month I will have been here for 30 years and this is definitely one for our record books,” said Enchanted Trails owner Vickie Ashcraft. “I have never seen anything like this.”
Ashcraft provided me a few more details about the accident in a text:
She veered off 40 missing several large signs, a telephone pole and two boulders, then hit a small directional sign and went over the landscaping through the fence into the pool.
Our new pool cover kept her from landing at the bottom of the pool. She took out all the pool furniture, the pool deck, the pool cover and the brass keepers that hold the cover in place. Early estimates could run to $20,000.
Ashcraft said insurance from the vehicle’s owner likely will cover the damage.
KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reported the driver as Marlee Pinto, 20, who was charged with driving under the influence. Pinto was taken to a hospital to be examined.
No one else was hurt in the accident.
Enchanted Trails RV Park remains a longtime supporter of Route 66. It’s best-known for offering vintage travel trailers — ranging from 1956 to 1973 models — to overnight travelers.
(Screen grab from KRQE-TV report at the accident scene)