Milwaukee food truck reopens after alleged drunk driver causes thousands in damage

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – A Milwaukee food truck is back in business after a suspected drunk driver crashed into it last month.

Almost every day for the past six years, Marta's Tamales has been parked on S. Cesar Chavez Drive, cooking up authentic Mexican and Guatemalan cuisine.

"The most popular food we sell is the tacos and tamales," co-owner Jesus Martinez said. "We are happy to attend all the customers and welcome everybody to Marta's Tamales."

Co-owned by Martinez and his wife Marta, the food truck is a large part of their income. However, its future was uncertain after an alleged drunk driver slammed into it on March 29, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Martinez spent over a week working on fixing the truck.

"Inside the truck right now, everything is working. We replaced all the equipment," he said.

Martinez was devastated after the crash that happened while his sister and another employee were working inside.

"The most important thing in this case is that all my family, they are okay," he explained. "My sister is okay. She is working now again."

Milwaukee police told CBS 58 the driver of the car was cited for OWI, but Martinez and Lopez said the driver was uninsured, leaving them to front the repair costs.

"We spent, I think, maybe seven, or 8,000. But we aren't done yet. The most important things we did and fixed," Martinez said.

After a week-and-a-half out of business, the family reopened on Tuesday.

"We are a little bit tired, but we are happy," Martinez said. "I feel good when I see the customer's face, when they see us here working again."

To offset the costs of repairs, they started a GoFundMe page. If you would like to donate, click here.