Marine Faces Charges After Fatal Accident

Cpl. Michael D. Cox, a 21-year-old Camp Pendleton Marine, was charged Thursday with vehicular manslaughter in connection with the death of a 6-year-old San Clemente boy.

Miguel Palacios, his 7-year-old sister and an 8-year-old cousin were were crossing El Camino Real in a crosswalk at Avenida San Luis Rey about 8:30 p.m. July 28 when a pickup truck hit them.

The boy was flown by helicopter to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he died less than two hours later. The girls were critically injured.

Witnesses told police that the pickup was traveling south at 35 to 40 m.p.h. Cox told police he was driving on El Camino Real at about 40 m.p.h., five miles above the posted limit, and did not see the children. There was no stop sign or traffic light at the intersection, and the Marine said he had not been drinking.

Cox, an electrical engineer from Wichita, Kan., was arrested the following day.

After being charged, Cox was released on his own recognizance, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office said.

After the accident, more than 1,000 residents signed a petition asking the city to install a traffic light at the intersection, which averaged four accidents per year from 1983 to 1985, according to Akram Hindiyeh, the city’s traffic engineer. The City Council on Aug. 6 voted unanimously to install a signal facing in all four directions.