Driver of Truck Rig Involved in Deadly I-5 Crash Is Found

A driver who police say fled the scene after his truck rig struck a vanload of people--killing two--along Interstate 5 has turned up in Tecate, Mexico, and may face legal action in the United States, the California Highway Patrol said Thursday.

Meanwhile, new details emerged about Wednesday’s fiery crash that killed two people and injured 13, at least five of whom remain hospitalized.

Among other developments, authorities said Thursday that the ill-fated van was not believed to be an alien-smuggling vehicle and that it may have slowed down because of mechanical difficulties when the furniture-laden truck smashed into it at high speed.

Question About Drive

Authorities said they are unsure if the driver of the van fled the scene, as was first reported, or if he may be among those injured.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, identified by his trucking company as Juan Rodriguez of Tecate, is expected to present himself to the CHP in San Diego today, said Robert Gustin, the CHP traffic officer who is handling the investigation. Gustin said he will probably recommend that the district attorney file a criminal complaint against Rodriguez, possibly involving charges of felony hit-and-run driving or vehicular manslaughter.

The owner of the trucking firm told investigators that the driver “just got scared and took off,” Gustin said.

The small trucking firm is based in Chula Vista and Tijuana and owns five trucks, said Arcelia Ortiz de Amaro, who identified herself in a telephone interview as the wife of the firm’s chief executive, Amador Amaro Rosas.

Investigators have determined that most, if not all, of the van’s occupants were legal U. S. residents. Vehicles crammed with undocumented immigrants commonly traverse the highways between the U. S.-Mexican border and Los Angeles and are occasionally involved in Border Patrol chases and traffic accidents, sometimes with disastrous results.

Passenger Van

The van in Wednesday’s accident was transporting the more than a dozen passengers for a fee from San Ysidro to Los Angeles, the CHP said, but it remained unclear whether the vehicle was part of a regular passenger service or was operating on a less formal basis. Investigators are attempting to determine whether the van, which was registered to an owner in Los Angeles, was a licensed carrier and whether it conformed to safety guidelines, Gustin said.

The CHP was also looking into witness reports that the van was experiencing mechanical problems in the right-front wheel and had slowed to 20 m.p.h. or less when it was rammed by the truck, which was going 60-65 m.p.h. when it hit the van, according to at least one witness questioned by the CHP.

The force of the collision spun the van around and forced it onto the guardrail on the right-hand shoulder, where it continued on for 150 feet and burst into flames, the CHP said. The truck rig also struck the guardrail and was badly damaged. The accident, which caused a major traffic backup for several hours, occurred at 2:25 p.m. on northbound I-5, just north of Del Mar Heights Road.

One of the dead, a woman who was burned to death, remained unidentified Thursday, authorities said.

Second Fatality

The other fatality was identified by the San Diego County coroner’s office as Rosa Maria Reta Yanez de Rico, 33, of Culiacan, Mexico. She succumbed to her injuries Wednesday evening at UC San Diego Medical Center. Her 10-year-old daughter, Paola Rico, was in fair condition at Children’s Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and minor burns, a spokeswoman said.

In addition, four men who suffered extensive burns remain in serious condition at UC San Diego Medical Center. They were identified as Arturo Paredes Jimenez, 25, of Lakewood; Oscar Mondragon Partida, 25, of Tijuana; Jose Cabrera, 23, of Santa Ana and Alex Ayala, 27, whose address was not immediately available.

Another victim, Sandra Melendez, who is pregnant, was released Wednesday evening from UC San Diego, a spokeswoman said.

Six others received minor injuries and were treated at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas and released.

The driver of the truck rig made his way to Tecate and was apparently hospitalized, the CHP said, but his injuries were minor.