Parents Vent Following Hemet Crash
Posted on November 9, 2012 Written By: iadminlaw
High school students don’t always make the best drivers. There’s a reason why many parents want their children to wait until they’re over 18 to drive.
Six months after a Hemet High student plowed through a crowd of pedestrians near campus, seriously injuring eight students, many expressed disappointment and frustration he would not be charged.
English: A California Highway Patrol unit on the scene of a car accident on Interstate 280 near Menlo Park. Photographed on October 19, 2005 by user Coolcaesar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Parents, students and community members expressed frustration and disappointment during an evening meeting Wednesday at Hemet High School to discuss a crash in front of the school in May that seriously injured eight students in a crosswalk.
The Riverside County district attorney’s office announced last month that no charges would be filed against the driver of the pickup truck, Daniel Carrillo, who at the time was a junior at the school.
The Wednesday meeting in the Hemet High Community Theater was just a short distance from the crosswalk where the accident occurred.
About 40 people were in the audience, including staff from the school.
The California Highway Patrol office in Banning initially reported the truck was going 50 mph in a 25 mph zone, weaving in and out of traffic, and ran a red light. Carrillo said his brakes failed.
The CHP said then that despite Carrillo’s claim, it expected criminal charges to be filed.
But the investigation by a Multidisciplinary Accident Team concluded the initial reports were off — the truck was doing 32 to 36 mph, not accelerating, and the tire calibration made the speedometer register 7 mph less than it was actually traveling.
It also concluded that brake failure was the primary cause of the crash and that it was highly likely there was transmission fluid in the brake’s master cylinder. The truck stopped after Carrillo ran the tires along the curb of Stetson Avenue.
Carrillo will face infractions for having poorly maintained brakes that caused an accident, but there was nothing in the investigation such as evidence of willfulness by Carrillo. He stopped talking to law enforcement at some time during the investigation.
If you or a loved one were the victim of a car accident that was caused by negligence or some other form of reckless behavior, it is important that you contact a committed and dedicated personal injury lawyer to help you decide if you should file a lawsuit. A competent and reputable injury lawyer can help you receive the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering.
