Driver Arraigned in Killing of Pedestrian
A man who allegedly split a case of beer with his brother before speeding down a Hawthorne street into the back of another car, killing a woman, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving.
Juan Camacho, 29, entered the plea in Inglewood Municipal Court. If convicted of the two felonies, Camacho faces as much as 10 years in prison. Prosecutors may seek a murder charge against Camacho, whose blood-alcohol level after the early morning crash on July 11 was .19%, more than twice the legal limit, Deputy Dist. Atty. Timothy Smith said.
Witnesses told police that Camacho may have been driving his 1978 Datsun more than 65 m.p.h. down Prairie Avenue when he rear-ended a 1984 Ford Thunderbird driven by Aljerriah Williams, 53, of Los Angeles. Witnesses tried to pull her from the wreckage, but she was burned to death when the gas tank in her car exploded in flames.
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