California: Probation, jail time for crash that killed tow truck driver
A Hayward man was sentenced this week to three years of probation for his role in a 2013 collision that led to the death of a tow-truck driver.
Pacifico Sanpedro, 73, was convicted Sept. 10 of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in connection with the July 28, 2013, early-morning crash, in which he struck the rear of a vehicle being hitched to a tow truck on Highway 16 west of Madison.
The collision pinned tow-truck driver Christopher Gladden, 24, between the vehicle and his rig, causing major internal injuries from which Gladden died 18 days later.
Yolo Superior Court Judge Daniel Maguire also sentenced Sanpedro on Monday to 120 days in county jail, though he may be able to serve that term through alternative sentencing, such as a work program or electronic monitoring, his defense attorney Amber Poston said.
Sanpedro had pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge, saying he was unable to see the tow-truck’s flashing emergency lights on the darkened highway that night.
But prosecutor Barry Shapiro focused on Sanpedro’s 11-hour gambling stint at the Cache Creek Casino in Brooks just before the collision, telling jurors it likely affected his concentration and ability to react while driving.
Sanpedro’s speed also was at issue, with Shapiro claiming the defendant was traveling at least 10 mph over the posted 45-mph speed limit, while Poston presented a traffic expert who clocked Sanpedro’s speed around 42 mph.
The jury that heard the case ultimately concluded that Sanpedro should have seen the tow truck’s lights as he approached the vehicle.
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