Celebrity woman sleeping on bus bench killed by driver accused of drink-driving

Myrna Lemus Estrada, 50, was killed in a hit-and-run accident by a suspected drunk driver on July 14, 2024.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — There has been an outpouring of support for a woman who was killed while sleeping at a bus stop in Lakewood early Sunday morning.

The woman who was killed had become well-known to many drivers who drive along Alameda in southwest Denver and Lakewood. Police said the car was driven by a man now charged with driving under the influence and crashed into the bus stop around 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

The vehicle had just passed South Depew Street when it veered onto West Alameda Avenue. When police arrived, they said the driver was gone.

“When we established a perimeter, we were able to locate the driver a short time later, a few blocks away, as he attempted to flee,” said John Romero, Lakewood’s public information officer.

Investigators say the 23-year-old driver was hiding behind a bush when he was stopped.

Woman found under bus shelter after car accident

Back at the bus stop, police said they found the body of a 50-year-old woman who was probably sleeping on the bench under the bus shelter. Her family identified her as Myrna Lemus Estrada.

Many strangers who had seen Estrada often came to leave flowers and offer prayers throughout the day on Sunday and Monday.

For many years, Estrada was a fixture in Alameda.

At one time, she spent a lot of time in West Alameda and South Knox Court. She eventually moved to the Lakewood bus stop.

“She was just sleeping, she never caused any property damage wherever she slept. She always cleaned up after herself,” said Judy Mahany, a Lakewood resident.

FOX31’s Vicente Arenas spoke with Estrada’s son.

““She was very kind and very reserved. She wore a lot of makeup and always managed to cover her face. There were times when we would bring her home and she would disappear in the middle of the night. We would look for her for days. She just wanted to be left alone,” said Alejandro Estrada, Myrna’s son.

On a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for Estrada’s funeral expenses, the family said that since Estrada’s youngest son was killed, she has suffered from mental health issues.

Police said the driver who allegedly hit Estrada was driving under the influence of alcohol and was half a block from a sign asking people to drive sober.

The driver was identified as Diego Araque Rivas, 23. He faces multiple charges including vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol, hit-and-run resulting in death and driving without a license.