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PD: Man in deadly Phoenix crash admits to drinking 12 beers, using cocaine

Posted at 3:20 PM, Oct 03, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-05 01:44:59-04

New details have been released from a deadly weekend crash in Phoenix. 

Court paperwork indicates 19-year-old German Godinez-Godinez was behind the wheel of a red Dodge truck when he ran a red light at 40th Street and Broadway Road on Sunday. He struck a pickup truck carrying several children.

Six-year-old Tyrik Jenkins, who was riding in the bed of the pickup, died of his injuries in the hospital. Three additional children and one adult were transported in serious condition.

According to court paperwork, Godinez said he drank a small bottle of whiskey, 12 beers and used cocaine three times between 4 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Godinez told police he did not see the red light because his sun visor was down. He told officers he was on the road because he wanted to see a girl.

Godinez is considered a flight risk because he is a citizen of Guatemala and has family there. In a jailhouse interview Monday night, he said he entered the country on a tourist visa and stayed after it expired.

"I feel bad for what I did. I hope [the family] forgives me," Godinez said. "I never planned to hurt anyone or do this."

The 19-year-old suspect says he drove under the influence because of problems from his childhood.

"I felt sad because my whole life I had never met my dad," he said. "I told myself I wanted to talk to him personally, and that was the motivation that led me to drink."

Godinez faces one count of manslaughter and five counts of endangerment and is next scheduled to appear in court on October 10.

Rebecca Harker was a witness to the crash and she said she cannot shake it from her mind.

"It was hard to sleep last night," Harker said.

Her family were one of the first few on scene and pulled up and saw the aftermath.

"It was just 'mother-instinct,'" Harker explained. "It just took over."

Harder said, three kids were all being helped - except for one little girl, who she immediately went to.

"She was scared...she kept saying 'owe,'" Harker said. "She kept trying to get up and I just, you know, tried to talk to her through it, sit her down, you know, just hugging on to her."

Just an arms-length away, Harker said she saw the lifeless body of 6-year-old TyriJenkins.

"I didn't know what to do, like - I felt like everything was out of my hands - out of my control because he was just laying there," Harker explained.