A truck driver who struck and killed a woman who was trapped in her vehicle will stand trial for his role in her death in 2016.
KSEQ News Channel 3 in Palm Springs recently reported on their website about a February 7, 2016, fatal crash that happened along Interstate 10 that occurred near Indio.
The rest of the passengers had escaped after Maria Vera’s Volkswagen Jetta overturned, but she remained trapped inside. The California Highway Patrol and the Riverside County Fire Department were on scene and had coned off several lanes during their efforts to free Vera.
A truck driver, Robbie Macias, 53, of Plumas Lake drove his 18 wheeler through the coned-off lanes at an estimated speed of between 60-65 miles per hour. Emergency crews had to leap out of the way over a concrete median to avoid being hit. The truck saw the situation, but even after slamming on the brakes of his 18-wheeler Macias ended up crashing into Vera’s disabled vehicle. She later died at the scene.
The surviving members of Vera’s family had filed a civil suit against Macias, the CHP, the City of Indio, Caltrans, and the Riverside County Fire Department. Macias was removed from the list of defendants in the civil suit.
Macias is currently facing a misdemeanor charge of one count of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. Documents filed with the court indicate that trial is set for April.
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