Ventura County – Joseph Cantrell, a 28-year-old resident of Camarillo, will undoubtedly have a difficult time renewing his driver’s license following his allegedly felonious operation of a motor vehicle early in the evening of Sunday, August 23rd.
Dark was falling near 8:00 p.m., according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sr. Deputy John Popp, Randel Fillmore, 54, was out for an evening stroll “as part of his regular exercise routine. Fillmore had been standing at the traffic-controlled Camarillo intersection of Mobil Avenue and Ponderosa Drive, “waiting for the pedestrian signal to turn to a white walking sign.” While he was waiting for that go-ahead to enter the marked crosswalk, Cantrell was driving toward the intersection.
As Fillmore observed the signal change, he entered the crosswalk to make his way across the intersection, apparently unaware that Cantrell’s vehicle was approaching at speed. Moments later, Cantrell drove into the intersection against the red light prohibiting his ingress, and slammed into Fillmore, immediately propelling the hapless pedestrian some 60 feet through the air.
Rather than bring his car to an immediate halt, Cantrell “continued driving westbound, was unable to negotiate a turn and collided into a parked car.” Clearly aware of the disaster he had just created, Cantrell alighted from his vehicle and attempted to flee through a residential neighborhood, only to be “tackled by several residents” who held him under their control until the arrival of deputies to the scene.
Fillmore was pronounced dead at the scene, and with traffic in all directions closed down for the next six hours to enable a complete investigation of events, Cantrell was transported to Ventura County Jail, where his past DUI record was discovered and he was booked on charges of felony manslaughter, felony DUI, and felony hit and run. Cantrell remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
