A person who entered the country illegally and was convicted of causing a fatal accident in Colorado will receive only one year in prison.
In 2002, Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza was initially removed from the country.
A man who pleaded guilty to causing a fatal crash while being an illegal immigrant in Colorado will be sentenced to a maximum of one year in jail on Friday, according to local reports.
In July, 9News reported that Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza pleaded guilty to misdemeanor traffic violations, including careless driving resulting in death, and will face one year in jail and fines when sentenced.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Cruz-Mendoza was transporting steel pipe on Hwy 285 when he lost control of the semi, causing it to roll onto its side and veer off the road.
The semi carrying a load of pipe and angle iron spilled onto five other vehicles, resulting in the death of one person and the serious injury of another, authorities stated. ICE spokesperson confirmed that Cruz-Mendoza has a history of removal to Mexico that dates back more than two decades. ICE first became aware of Cruz-Mendoza in April 2002 when he was arrested on local charges in Jefferson County, Oregon.
On May 29, 2002, an immigration judge ordered Cruz-Mendoza to be removed to Mexico. Since then, he has been removed from the U.S. or voluntarily returned to Mexico a total of 16 times, according to ICE.
The district attorney was targeted by the widow of Scott Miller, who was killed in the crash, for not pursuing additional charges.
Deann Miller expressed her anger towards the justice system after the man convicted of murdering her husband was only sentenced to a year in prison. She believes that the DA's decision not to charge him with additional offenses was unjust.
"If not the people responsible for ensuring our safety, who will take care of rogue truck drivers and companies?" Miller stated. "It seems like they're not doing their job, which makes me feel like they didn't do their job."
9News reported that the DA's office was taken aback by Cruz-Mendoza's guilty plea during his arraignment on the misdemeanor, which halted any additional charges. The Jefferson County DA's office did not respond to a request for comment from Planet Chronicle Digital but informed 9News that they are investigating the trucking company involved in the crash.
Planet Chronicle' Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
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