POCATELLO — The family of a woman killed by an alleged drunken driver last month is asking for the community’s help in the aftermath of the fatal downtown Pocatello crash.

Lena Phelps, 29, died Dec. 27 after a two-vehicle crash that severely injured her boyfriend, Treston Hadley, 30, and his dog, Theo.

Police say Guy Garry Guerrero, 25, of Chubbuck ran a red light while driving a 2022 Ford F-250 pickup south on North Arthur Avenue around 100 mph when he ran a red light at West Clark Street and struck Phelps’ 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser as it traveled through the intersection on a green light.

The crash left Hadley with two collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, a broken jaw and other injuries. Hadley’s dog was thrown from the car and suffered a punctured lung along with joint and ligament damage. The dog is recovering after a two-day stay in a veterinary hospital.

Both Phelps and Hadley were rushed by ground ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, where Phelps died from injuries sustained in the crash. Hadley was recently released from PMC’s intensive care unit and faces a long recovery.

The crash left Phelps’ three children — an 8-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl and a 3-year-old girl — orphaned. The children have been under the care of a relative since Phelps’ husband died in 2020.

“They’re safe with my aunt and they’re in a really good, stable environment,” said Sariah Gaunt, Phelps’ sister. “They’re being taken care of. They have a lot of love and support around them. They’ve been at my aunt’s for a while, so thank goodness it’s not as chaotic as it could have been with having three orphaned kids.”

Phelps’ immediate and extended family are asking those looking to support them to donate directly to Hadley’s Venmo account. In lieu of flowers, they’re asking people to support the South Dakota-based nonprofit Passages Women’s Transitional Living.

According to its website, Passages is a faith-based ministry, not affiliated with any church or denomination, that provides reentry services to women making the transition from incarceration, homelessness and treatment centers.

Phelps was a certified nursing assistant for 10 years and spent many hours assisting female inmates. She also felt compelled to help these populations after her own struggles following her husband’s death.

“She was a dedicated mother, fierce sister, loving daughter and truly the best friend,” Phelps’ obituary says. “Lena was the heart and soul of everyone who knew her. She had endless compassion and understanding for the people she knew and continually went out of her way to help everyone in need. Her laugh was pure sunshine and she gave perfect hugs that made everything better. She has three beautiful children that she loved more than anything. Her life was filled with struggles, but she always pushed forward, courageously making difficult choices to better her life and the lives of those around her. She enjoyed all of her jobs but was most passionate about her work in the medical field.”

“No matter who you were and what you did, she just believed the best of people, even the guy that hit them,” Gaunt said. “I want to be angry, but I can hear her voice in my head telling me, ‘Sariah, you have no idea what he’s going through. He’s probably sitting in the jail cell, just in living hell right now.’ She would probably be worried about him. That was just the type of person that she was, just having been around so many people that were struggling and having struggled so much after everything she’d been through.”

Phelps was preceded in death by three grandparents and her husband. She is survived by her grandmother, parents, four siblings, three children and her aunts, uncles, cousins and those she considered family.

Phelps’ memorial service was held Saturday in the gymnasium at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on South Grant Avenue in Pocatello. Direct donations to assist Hadley and his dog can be sent to account.venmo.com/u/Treston-Hadley. Donations can be made to Passages Women’s Transitional Living at passagesliving.com/donate.

“To everyone that is reaching out, I just want them to know that Lena loved them so much and that we really appreciate everything that they’ve been doing for us and for our family right now,” Gaunt said. “Because this has just been a horrible experience, but just having all that love and support for her has definitely made it a little bit easier to get through.”

Guerrero has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and aggravated driving under the influence. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if he is convicted. He is being held at Bannock County Jail on $500,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 7 for a preliminary hearing.