Family rallies for Portland food truck owner and girlfriend injured by suspected drunk driver

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A family is rallying for a Northeast Portland food truck owner and his girlfriend after they were both seriously injured in what police said was a drunk driver crash.

Silverio Nino Guatemala, the owner of

Niños Birrieria, and his partner, Julia, were leaving their food truck when the driver struck them near Northeast Prescott and Northeast 71st Avenue on Friday. That’s when the food truck owner’s son, Andres Nino, sprang into action, pulling the pair out of their totaled car.

“I don’t know how I did it because I was kind of in shock, but I mean, I just saw my dad hanging out of the door of the car, and then I saw his girlfriend. Basically, she got a concussion on her head. So, she was completely gone for like three minutes,” Andres said.

“You’re thinking, ‘Hopefully he’s OK, hopefully he’s OK and nothing bad happened to him,” added another son of the food truck owner, who is also named Silverio.

By Wednesday, both the father Silverio and Julia were released from the hospital, the family said. However, they now have to contend with a wrecked car, injuries that prevent them from working and hospital bills. As a result, the family started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with the recovery.

“I’m just thinking about my dad because I mean, he’s a strong guy, he said he’s okay, but he has a lot of pain, and we just want him to basically get back on his feet,” Andres said.

The suspected drunk driver is Rafael Gonzalez, who pleaded not guilty in court on Monday. According to the Portland Police Bureau, they said an officer had spotted the driver nearly losing control near Northeast Alberta Street and Northeast 82nd Avenue shortly before the crash.

When the officer turned on his lights to stop the driver, police said a passenger jumped from the car and the vehicle sped off with the headlights turned off.

“The driver was clearly driving recklessly to elude police, but the officer was not pursuing,” said Sergeant Kevin Allen with the Portland Police Bureau. 

The alleged driver was located by PPB’s Air Support Unit driving into oncoming traffic before he crashed into the food truck owner.

Court records show Gonzalez “smelled strongly of alcohol,” according to police. Officers said they “could smell it from outside the hospital room” and overheard him admitting to drinking that night. Gonzalez reportedly told police he “fled because he had warrants and did not want to go to jail.”

Court documents also said Gonzalez had a suspended license when he was arrested and that he had been driving 70 miles per hour in a 25 zone. He has two previous driving under the influence of intoxicants convictions that happened out of Washington County.