SAN FERNANDO – A commercial truck has been charged with the deaths of two women and four children who were killed last summer when the truck crashed into their disabled van on the Golden State (5) Freeway in the Gorman area.
Richard Lopez, 70, is charged with six misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter and one misdemeanor count of failing to comply with California Highway Patrol rules regarding hours of service for drivers, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Lopez pleaded not guilty Thursday, July 13.
The charges, filed June 27, stem from the deaths of Connie Wu Li, 33; Flora Kuang, 33; Jayden Li, 5; Lucas Li, 3; Sky Ng, 4; and Venus Ng, 2, who were in a van that had broken down and was partially blocking the right lane near Gorman School Road on June 28, 2016, prosecutors said.
When the tractor-trailer that Lopez was driving crashed into the van, the van erupted in flames and went down an embankment, according to prosecutors.
The criminal complaint alleges that the driver had not rested the legally mandated 10 hours after allegedly driving for more than 15 hours.
The van had earlier been involved in a non-injury crash with a BMW at about 3:30 a.m. that day, and CHP officers were on their way to the scene at the time of the fiery crash, authorities said.
The women’s husbands — identified as Wei Xiong Li of Daly City and Aaron Hon Wing Ng of San Francisco — were taken to a hospital to be treated for burns they sustained to their faces and hands as they tried to save their families, CHP officers said shortly after the crash.
The CHP officers told reporters soon afterward that they had to hold back the fathers from the flames because it was too dangerous to try to save the women and children.
CHP Officer Jeff Burdick said it was hard to pull the two men away from the fire.
“We just held them,” Burdick said then. “That’s all we could do.”
CHP Officer Dan Williams said, “It was very horrific seeing them trying to get their families out, us trying to help get their families out.”
Lopez — who is due back in a San Fernando courtroom Aug. 4 for a pretrial hearing — could face up to six years in jail if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
–
Bob says
“IF” he is an illegal the Mexifornia liberals will make sure he does not do any time, and is deported back to Mexico so he can re-enter Mexifornia again.
Justice says
Hey, Marty, not because his last name is Lopez that’s mean his Mexican, I have known more than 15 persons from Philippines 100% Philippines that the last name is Lopez and there are more than 20 Latino country’s with People that have that last name, so you are so ignorant and retarded idiot
Marty says
… architypical hit-‘n-run Mexican, with the “get-even-with-thee-gringos” mentality, running down innocent women and children, like they were dogs. Lopez didn’t have opportunity to flee the scene of the accident, as he most certainly otherwise would have. But, the long and short of it here in the sanctuary city of Mexifornia, the courts have no choice but go soft on him. Throwing the book at the old muchacho, the courts procyclically induce added incentive, for hit-‘n-run. The most Lopez can expect to receive from the sanctuary city kangaroo court will be, a slap on the hands, restitution, a court extorted apology to the survivors, and as a didactic example to his fellow Hispanics, a suspended sentence as commendation, for not fleeing the scene of the accident –
Tim Scott says
This comment was ridiculous in too many ways to count. I nominate Marty for Breitbart Dingbat of the Day.
Fred says
Ridiculous, yes, but very entertaining built on grains of truth. Marty rules, LOL.
Samantha says
… when you see these televised police pursuits, when you hear of hit-‘n-runs on television news, these people are not fleeing police, per se. They’re not leaving the scene of the accident, per se. What they’re fleeing is, our courts. All these police pursuits, all these hit-‘n-runs, are symptomatic of one thing: lack of faith in our hopelessly corrupt, intellectually bankrupt judicial system, lining its pockets at the expense of human misery –