Driving suspects arrested for vehicular manslaughter after crashing during race
The San Jose Police Department is reporting the arrest of two suspects for vehicular manslaughter of a female jogger while car racing.
The suspects were racing along Yerba Buena Road before the fatal crash.
According to Sgt. Healther Randol of the SJPD, “on January 26, 2015 at approximately 12:00 p.m., the San Jose Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle vs. pedestrian collision on Yerba Buena Road at Edenview Drive in San Jose.” When police arrived at the scene, SJPD patrol officers located two vehicles that had crashed on the side of the road with a female adult pedestrian that was pinned between one vehicle and a tree. The victim, later identified as Kiran Pabla, was hit and killed at the scene.
Both suspect drivers, 18-year-old Gabriel Becerra Esparza and 23-year-old Manuel Anthony Maldonado-Avalos, were taken into custody and booked into Santa Clara County Jail on charges of Vehicular Manslaughter and Reckless Driving Causing Great Bodily Injury.
The victim, Kiran Pabla (Facebook)
Randol said, “The San Jose Police Department Traffic Investigations Unit responded to the scene to conduct the investigation.” Witnesses interviewed at the scene said they saw the cars speeding out of control when they collided and lost control, striking Pabla. Randol said, “Investigators determined the vehicles were traveling in excess of 70 mph when they lost control, collided with a guard rail, and then came to rest on the sidewalk after striking the pedestrian.” Investigators have determined that the death was caused by the vehicles may have been racing prior to the collision.
Anyone with information is asked to contact San Jose Police Departments Traffic Investigations Unit at 408-277-5382. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may either call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line, (408) 947-STOP (7867).
