(Tex Texin/Flickr)
A driver who struck and killed a nanny pushing a baby in a stroller in Torrey Highlands last month pleaded not guilty today to misdemeanor charges of failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and failure to stop at a red light.
Christine Padilla, 35, is charged in connection with the death of 41-year-old Monserrat Mendez.
Padilla was scheduled to be arraigned Monday, but according to court officials, her attorney “counter-arraigned” the defendant a day early. She faces up to a year in jail if convicted.
The accident at Camino del Sur and Via Verrazzano happened Feb. 1 about 11:45 a.m., according to San Diego police.
Investigators said the impact threw Mendez 30 feet and dragged the stroller with a 13-month-old boy strapped inside across the intersection, leaving it wedged under Padilla’s Toyota 4Runner.
Medics took Mendez to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where she was pronounced dead.
The toddler was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, including scrapes and bruises, SDPD public-affairs Lt. Andra Brown said.
An investigation revealed that Padilla was not speeding or talking on her cell phone when the accident occurred, although she had just had a baby the day before, according to police.
A readiness conference for Padilla is scheduled April 24.
Loading ...
This is a horrible incident for the Nanny to be killed and its a miracle the baby survived this. My prayers to Monserrat’s family and may she rest in peace. I am hoping they plan a large civil suit against Padilla for wreckless driving. When I saw this part of the article that says she will serve a YEAR only for this murder and assault with her vehicle shows just how measily the time for some crimes is nothing.
This should be a minimum Involuntary Manslaugther while in the process of breaking the law by running the stop light/sign Padilla then ran over Monserrat causing her death.
This makes me so angry to think this woman can literally get off with no jail time or very little for the crimes committed.
“Padilla was scheduled to be arraigned Monday, but according to court officials, her attorney “counter-arraigned” the defendant a day early. She faces up to a year in jail if convicted”.
1 Year Max???? for vehicular manslaughter. I wonder if that is any different from hitting someone who was jaywalking. I agree with the previous comment in that Padilla hit and killed a person while in the process of breaking a law (running the red) and thus it is not the same as an accident where no fault was committed.
crazy…………. thats all she will get is 1 yr for killing someone? insane !!!