Before the crash that upended his life and put three of his friends in the hospital, Kamen Guida was a high school senior preparing to march across the graduation stage and accept his diploma from Pueblo South High School. A hardworking honor student and two-sport athlete, his future seemed without limits.

Now, his world has shrunk to the size of a hospital room. He can move his arms, but he can’t walk yet. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of pain, with more to come.

“All because someone made the decision to drink (alcohol) and then get behind the wheel of a car,” said Roberta Guida, Kamen’s mother.

Just after 11 p.m. on May 21 — just hours before he was set to graduate — Kamen and three of his friends were leaving a parking lot near Hog Farm Road and Colorado 78 when a Dodge Ram pickup truck, running fast with no lights, slammed into their vehicle, ejecting Kamen and another passenger.

All four occupants were seriously injured. Fire and rescue personnel had to extract one of them from the vehicle. Kamen, who reportedly was in the process of securing his seat belt at the time of the collision, sustained several catastrophic injuries and was airlifted to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs.

“I couldn’t even look at him, at first,” Roberta said. “We didn’t know if he was going to survive, but I couldn’t even look at him.”

Kamen’s older brother, Keano, still won’t talk about the extent of the injuries.

“It’s a sensitive subject for me,” Keano said. “That’s my baby brother.”

His friends have since been released from the hospital, but Kamen is still being treated for a litany of injuries, according to his family. He has had surgery to repair his injured pelvis, spine and cornea. Doctors have also repaired a damaged bladder and a fractured cheekbone. His leg, still badly swollen two weeks after the crash, may require surgery as well.

“And that’s just the physical injuries,” Roberta said. “That doesn’t count the mental. This has hurt our family, and the other families — emotionally, mentally and physically.”

Part of the family’s heartache stems from the fact that the crash was completely avoidable. When officers arrived at the scene, the driver of the other vehicle appeared to be intoxicated, police said. José Rojas-Fernandez, 54, was booked into the Pueblo County jail and faces multiple charges, including driving under the influence, vehicular assault, careless driving causing serious bodily injury and prohibited use of a weapon.

Rojas-Fernandez was later released on his own recognizance, according to the Guida family.

“In a matter of seconds, a drunk driver’s decision changed the course of my brother’s life forever,” Keano Guida wrote in a social media post. “While the man responsible was given the opportunity to go home, my brother remained in a hospital bed, broken, battered and fighting for his life.”

Attempts to contact Pueblo police for comment were unsuccessful.

Since the crash, Roberta Guida and her family have become tireless advocates for DUI awareness, working with community outreach programs in an effort to prevent similar tragedies.

“When you decide to drink and drive, it doesn’t just affect you,” Roberta said. “Look at what happened to my son and his friends. This has hurt a lot of families.”

Kamen is expected to make a full recovery, but he has months of grueling physical therapy ahead. A standout football player and wrestler, he had hoped to play football for Arizona State University. Now, the bedridden teen is looking at a months-long path to recovery.

“He is determined to get through this and live his life,” Keano said.

In the meantime, the family is keeping a close eye on Rojas-Fernandez’s case, hoping he receives appropriate justice for what prosecutors say was an ill-fated decision to drive under the influence.

“I hope justice is done, and that this man is held accountable for what he has done,” Roberta said. “We believe in forgiveness, but I don’t think I can forgive him until he has been held accountable.”

How to help

Family and friends have set up a GoFundMe to help pay for Kamen’s medical expenses. To donate, visit bit.ly/4o6kEy0.