Nearly two years after James Parker was killed while riding his motorcycle, his family is still waiting for the woman prosecutors say caused the fatal crash to be brought to trial.
Maria Villegas de Munoz is charged with felony gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence causing injuries to more than one person.
Prosecutors say the Freedom woman was driving near Thompson Road on Sept. 27, 2010 when she drifted across the dividing lines on a sharp curve. Her car struck the motorcycle ridden by 49-year-old Parker, killing him. His then-15-year-old son was on the back of the bike.
Prosecutor Jason Gill has alleged that Villegas de Munoz had a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent at the time of the crash.
Villegas de Munoz pleaded not guilty to the charges back in November 2010, but the case has been delayed a number of times while attorneys on both sides collect the information.
In court Thursday, Gill asked Judge Paul Burdick to vacate the trial set for next week because a critical witness – the first California Highway Patrol officer to respond to the accident and interview Villegas de Munoz – is unavailable. Burdick agreed and ordered Gill, Villegas de Munoz and her attorney, public defender Mandy Tovar, to return to court Aug. 1 to set a new trial date.
