Yareni Rios-Gonzalez GoFundMe raises more than $18,000 as charges dropped against detained Colorado woman hit by a train 

On Friday, June 30, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez pleaded no-contest to a misdemeanour charge after she alllegedly threatened someone with a gun during a road rage incident. The case was complicated after Rios-Gonzalez's arrest, when authorities allegedly left her handcuffed in a police car while it was on railroad tracks.

A train eventually hit the police car, reportedly leaving Rios-Gonzalez with nine broken ribs, a broken arm, a fractured sternum. In the wake of the accident, felony charges against Rios-Gonzalezw were dropped, and her attorney expressed their plans to sue the police.

Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence and police misconduct, reader discretion is advised

After Yareni Rios-Gonzalez was injured in the incident, her family members started a GoFundMe initiative on her behalf. As of July 4, the fundraiser, which aims to collect $25,000 in donations, raised $18,660. The GoFundMe page mentioned that Yareni Rios-Gonzalez's injuries make it difficult to care for her 2-year-old daughter.

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The timeline of Yareni Rios-Gonzalez's arrest

The initial incident occured on September 16, 2022, when 20-year-old Yareni Rios-Gonzalez allegedly threatened a motorist with a firearm. In response, officers Pablo Vasquez and Jordan Steinke reportedly detained her, before finding the firearm in the vehicle. As the officers probed the scene, they left Rios-Gonzalez in a police vehicle that was parked on the train tracks.

As Yareni Rios-Gonzalez waited while handcuffed in the car, she was unable to move as a passing freight train approached her on the tracks. She had to be rushed to a hospital, where she stayed for 12 days. As a result of the injuries, she was also unable to work. Her family also faced financial difficulties as her spouse stayed home to take care of her.

The GoFundMe Page read:

"Unfortunately her husband has missed a lot of work because he has been home assisting Yareni with daily activities that she cant do on her own (eat, get dressed,shower etc) not to mention taking care of their 2 year old daughter."

The family's statement continued:

“Meanwhile my daughter and her family still have expenses to take care of. Unfortunately her husband has missed a lot of work ...Yareni won’t be able to work anytime soon and help support her husband like she used to."

Rios-Gonzalez's lawyer, Paul Wilkinson, said that he plans to sue the police department over the incident. However, the team must wait 90 days after the case in order to pursue legal action against the police department:

“She’s recovering, but it will be a long road. She’s doing physical therapy, counselling, working with her surgeons. There is a combination of what I assume is post-traumatic stress disorder and [physical injuries],” Wilkinson added.

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As per Denver 7, the train accident victim has received a deferred sentence. If she follows the condition, she can avoid jail time.