Motorist in DMV Crash Won’t Be Prosecuted

There will be no criminal prosecution of the Tijuana man who suffered a minor stroke moments before he lost control of his car and plowed through a crowded Department of Motor Vehicles office, injuring 23 people, police said Friday.

Augustin Medina, 64, was in an intermediate-care unit at Mercy Hospital in San Diego where hospital officials said he was being kept under 24-hour observation because his blood pressure was fluctuating.

Medina was leaving the Chula Vista DMV branch parking lot Thursday when he lost control of his car. The vehicle smashed through the south wall of the building, bounced off a counter and hit another wall as people inside panicked as they attempted to get out of the way.

After repairs of damaged walls and structural approval from the state architect’s office, the Chula Vista DMV branch opened at noon Friday with a skeleton staff of 30 employees on loan from six other DMV offices in San Diego County.

The entire 80-member staff of the Chula Vista office was given the day off, and many participated in group therapy sessions provided by the DMV to recover from the shock of the accident, said Candy Wohlford, DMV regional manager.

She said the office is expected to be fully staffed by Monday, although the DMV will continue to provide therapy for employees who need it.

Three accident victims remained hospitalized after the accident.

Most seriously injured was Maria Morfin, 31, of Tijuana, who was still in critical condition at University of California, San Diego, Medical Center after seven hours of emergency surgery for internal injuries. Morfin was pinned between Medina’s car and a wall in the crash.