Charges Possible After Fatal Crash

A 63-year-old Port Hueneme woman may face vehicular manslaughter charges for her involvement in a two-car collision that sent four people to the hospital, including a 1-year-old girl who died Friday, authorities said.

Selena Carrillo was pronounced dead at 1:20 p.m. at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, a day after the accident, according to Sgt. Tom Nelson of the Santa Barbara County coroner’s office.

Clara Bell Hottendorf was driving her 1982 Cadillac north on Patterson Road when she ran a stop sign and slammed into a 1984 Nissan 300 ZX driven by Maria “Olga” Robles and carrying three passengers--Selena and Robles’ 6-year-old twins, Elizabeth and Eduardo, according to police.

Robles, 36, of Port Hueneme was baby-sitting Selena at the time.

Although the three children were wearing seat belts, Selena was not in a child’s seat, which state law mandates for all children under 4 years old and less than 40 pounds, according to Oxnard Senior Traffic Officer Don Mulville.

“But I don’t think a child’s seat would have made any difference due to the fact that the impact occurred where it did,” he said. The right passenger door was crushed into the transmission hump in the center of the car, Mulville said.

Hottendorf may face vehicular homicide charges, he said, which carry a sentence of one to five years.

“We’re not done working on [the case],” Mulville said.

Robles remained in fair condition with face and leg cuts at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, a nursing supervisor said.

Robles’ daughter, who broke her arm, and her son, who broke a collarbone, were treated and released Thursday, the supervisor said.

Although police are waiting for toxicology results, Mulville said it did not appear that Hottendorf was intoxicated.