No Charges Expected in Crash in Which 4 Died
The driver of a Volkswagen bug that crashed, killing four teen-agers last month, probably will not be charged in connection with the accident, police investigators said.
The driver, Carlos Martinez, 19, is still in the hospital recovering from injuries he suffered in the April 21 accident. Martinez’s blood showed no trace of drugs or alcohol after the accident, said Hawthorne Police Sgt. Stephen Baker.
The investigation is still open because the California Highway Patrol will try to determine the speed of the car, but Baker said it doesn’t appear that any charges will be filed.
Martinez, the brother of one of the victims, was driving north on Inglewood Avenue when he swerved to avoid hitting a car backing out of a driveway. He apparently lost control and slammed into a power pole at 118th Street, police said.
Yeni Martinez, 15; Sonia Gonzalez, 16, and Teresa Guillen, 16, all sophomores at Hawthorne High School, and Michael Scott Wade, 19, died in the crash. Claudia Vazquez, 15, was thrown from the car and suffered cuts on her face.
On May 8, Martinez was transferred from Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in Inglewood, where hospital officials said he is in good condition. Martinez will undergo therapy for head injuries he suffered in the accident. No date for his release from the hospital has been set.
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