A former California Highway Patrol officer is now facing murder charges in connection with a devastating freeway crash that killed four people last summer near Norwalk, prosecutors announced Monday.
Authorities allege that 24-year-old Angelo Rodriguez was driving his patrol vehicle at speeds exceeding 130 miles per hour on the southbound 605 Freeway on July 20 when he struck a Nissan Versa near the Rosecrans Avenue exit. Investigators say Rodriguez was not responding to an emergency call at the time of the collision.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the impact disabled the Nissan and left it stranded on the freeway. Prosecutors allege Rodriguez failed to properly secure the scene after the crash and instead moved his damaged patrol vehicle to the shoulder without activating emergency lights or assisting the people inside the other car.
A short time later, a second vehicle traveling at more than 100 miles per hour slammed into the disabled Nissan, triggering a fiery explosion. The driver of that vehicle, identified as Iris Salmeron, is also facing murder charges. Prosecutors say Salmeron had been drinking earlier that evening and was allegedly driving under the influence at the time of the crash.
The victims — Julie Hamori, 23, Armand Del Campo, 24, Jordan Partridge and Samantha Skocilik — died at the scene.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the tragedy could have been avoided.
“This horrific loss of life might never have occurred if the officer had not been driving at extremely dangerous speeds without justification,” Hochman said in a statement.
Investigators allege Salmeron had been drinking at both a restaurant and a friend’s home earlier in the night. Prosecutors say she also sent a text message indicating plans to become heavily intoxicated before getting behind the wheel.
Rodriguez has since been dismissed from the California Highway Patrol. As of Monday morning, court documents had not yet been officially filed, but both Rodriguez and Salmeron were expected to appear for arraignment at the Bellflower Courthouse.
Attorneys representing the victims’ families say the group had been returning home from a concert when the initial crash occurred. According to civil attorney Darren Aitken, some of the victims were able to contact family members after the first collision and were still alive before the second crash caused the fatal fire.
One of the victims, Hamori, was engaged to Del Campo, according to family representatives.
Legal proceedings in both the criminal case and a related civil lawsuit are expected to move forward in the coming months as investigators continue to review the circumstances surrounding the deadly chain-reaction crash.
