Driver of Truck Arrested in 5 Deaths on Road
The driver of a tractor-trailer truck that crashed head on into a car Friday and killed five people was arrested for investigation of felony vehicular manslaughter.
Officer Dave Cooper of the California Highway Patrol in San Luis Obispo said Robert Anderson, 29, of Olive Branch, Miss., was booked at the county jail.
Cooper said a preliminary investigation revealed that for unknown reasons Anderson’s produce-loaded truck crossed the center divider on California 46 about 20 miles southeast of Paso Robles.
He said it “ran over” the car, killing all but one of the occupants instantly.
On Their Way to Work
The truck driver was not hurt. Cooper said the crash victims are believed to have been illegal aliens who lived in Avenal and were on their way to work at a vineyard near the tiny town of Shandon.
Hector Mondragon, whose age was thought to be in the early 20s, was listed in critical condition at Sierra Vista Hospital in San Luis Obispo.
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