WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Valjo Ristovski's 77-year-old father-in-law was out for his usual walk early Sunday morning near the family's Washington Township home on Brookside Lane near Mound Road.
"They were out for their walk, like they went every morning when someone just hit my father in law, "Ristovski said.
The elderly man had two other family members with him when all three were mowed down by a vehicle.
"Yeah, we could hear the fire trucks, police, sirens," said Marge Cervenek, who lives nearby.
Macomb County Sheriff's deputies arrested the driver -- 21-year-old Andrea Gutierrez, of Clarkston. Deputies says she was heading east on Brookside Lane when she hit the family.
She reportedly told deputies she thought she slammed into trash cans at the time, not realizing she hit three people. Deputies say Gutierrez later failed a breathalyzer test. She was charged Tuesday with two counts of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. She is scheduled to return to court Sept. 27.
The crash happened right in front of Cervenek's driveway. She said her husband had gone out to get the newspaper when he realized what happened.
"He said, 'Oh my gosh, it looks like there's been an accident," she said.
The 77-year-old man remains in critical condition along with his 61-year-old cousin. The man's 59-year-old wife was treated for injuries and released.
"I hope he's going to be better soon," said Ristovsky.