Raps pressed vs. driver in Middle Rd. accident

The 20-year-old man driving the car that run into three Chinese pedestrians along Middle Road last weekend has been summoned to the court.

The driver was asked to answer to traffic infraction charges, including vehicular homicide, according to police.

One of the three victims in the accident died due to severe injuries early Sunday morning, while her two companions survived but sustained contusions and abrasions on the head, leg and arm areas.

In a conscious effort to clarify inaccurate information that have propped up as a result of the pending case, Department of Public Safety officials made the distinction yesterday between procedures involving traffic violation citations as opposed to the process of charging individuals who are suspects to criminal acts.

Lt. Nicolas D. LeonGuererro told a press briefing yesterday that Saturday’s pedestrian accident which bore one fatality has developed into a serious case where suspect, Juan Celis Cabrera, faces a string of traffic violation charges, to include vehicular homicide.

“This is a serious case right now. But there is a fine line between arresting someone for committing a criminal act and citing an individual for traffic infractions. In criminal cases, there has to be a probable cause. We just can’t arrest someone without comprehensively gathering all the details. But in a traffic violation, we can give you a citation which will indicate when you need to come to court,” explained Mr. LeonGuerrero.

He added that in order for an individual to be charged with vehicular homicide, as Mr. Cabrera has been leveled with, authorities have to obtain the approximate cause of the accident.

Elements that authorities have to consider before handing down a vehicular homicide charge include the speed of the vehicle at the time of the accident, traffic violations on the part of the operator that contributed to the road mishap, the victim’s autopsy, and other vital information.

Police yesterday wrapped up investigation on victim Ping Liu’s cause of death but declined to elaborate on the findings.

“The person [Mr. Cabrera] has been penal summoned to answer to the charges. There will be additional charges, aside from driving without a driver’s license. But for sure, vehicular homicide will be one of the them,” said the police official.

Mr. Cabrera is set to be arraigned on Monday, April 2.

According to earlier reports, Mr. Cabrera’s 1996 Toyota Tercel failed to yield to three Chinese pedestrians who were traveling along a Middle Road cross-walk last Saturday, throwing them off the road.

Surviving victims Xue Ping Yu, 29, and Lian Feng Shen, 31 from Gualo Rai were transported to the Commonwealth Health Center for evaluation. They were released promptly after treatment.

But Ms. Liu, their co-worker, was pronounced clinically dead at around 1:15 Sunday morning.

An eyewitness told police that his vehicle, with the hazard signal on, was stationary at the Gualo Rai road near Gold’s Gym to make way for three Chinese pedestrians who wished to cross the street that evening.

According to the onlooker, he had noticed a speeding vehicle in the inner bound lane heading from south to north at high speed.

The witness told police the vehicle did not seem to be slowing down.

Nearing the pedestrian lane, the spectator noted that he heard loud squeaky noises which he described as an attempt by the operator to stop the car.

The driver apparently slammed on his breaks upon seeing the pedestrians making their way across the street.

Police reports reveal that the driver’s move to stop came too late.

At the speed he was going, authorities assessed he was bound to hit the pedestrians.