JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo — A truck driver who pleaded guilty to causing a crash that killed a man earlier this summer was sentenced to one year behind bars on Friday afternoon in Jefferson County District Court.
Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza was charged only with misdemeanor traffic violations: one count of careless driving resulting in death and three counts of careless driving resulting in injury related to the crash on Highway 285 near Bailey that killed Scott Miller.
He pleaded guilty to those charges in July and faced a maximum of one year behind bars and some fines.
Cruz-Mendoza didn’t have a valid commercial driver’s license, and he was in the country without the proper documentation.
After the DA’s office in Jefferson County charged him with the misdemeanors, Cruz-Mendoza surprised them and pleaded guilty at his arraignment. That prevented prosecutors from filing more charges as they got more evidence from crash investigators.
A prosecutor on Friday said Cruz-Mendoza was out of gear and potentially missed a shift coming down a grade. Witnesses didn't hear Cruz-Mendoza use a horn during the emergency, the prosecutor said, and he relied on brakes to stop his semi truck that was hauling more than 40,000 pounds of pipes.
According to the prosecutor, the semi truck's inspection expired in August 2022 and Cruz-Mendoza never completed an employment application with the trucking company, Monique Trucking.
Before issuing a sentence, the judge asked prosecutors why felony chargers were not filed in this case. Cruz-Mendoza was arrested for vehicular homicide, but the district attorney's office filed misdemeanor charges because they said the evidence they had at the time didn't support felony counts.
By the time the district attorney's office received more information from crash investigators, it was too late. Cruz-Mendoza already pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor counts.
Family of Miller and victims didn't believe a one year sentence was enough.
The DA’s office told 9NEWS they are still looking into the trucking company involved in the crash. That investigation is ongoing. Monique Trucking has a history of violations including drivers on the road without proper licenses.
The crash happened June 11 on Highway 285 near Conifer. The Colorado State Patrol said the semi was going south when it went off the edge of the road, rolled onto its side and dumped its load of pipe and angle iron on top of five other vehicles. The highway was closed in both directions for about 14 hours after the crash.
Miller died in the crash, and three other people suffered injuries.
