Parents of four minors involved in Monday night’s fatal crash
can’t face criminal charges for the three deaths, according to
state law, while the one survivor’s parents could potentially be
held liable in civil court.
Hollister – Parents of four minors involved in Monday night’s fatal crash can’t face criminal charges for the three deaths, according to state law, while the one survivor’s parents could potentially be held liable in civil court.
That didn’t stop a California Highway Patrol spokesperson from stressing at least some parental responsibility for the tragedy.
“They are all juveniles, and ultimately whatever actions the juvenile takes, the parents are responsible for,” said CHP public affairs officer Terry Mayes on Wednesday.
Investigators are still reconstructing precisely what happened Monday night when four minors – three 13-year-olds and a 16-year-old – crashed a stolen Jaguar that burst into flames near the intersection of Shore, Fairview and San Felipe roads. The crash killed Hollister residents Vanessa Jimenez, 13, Albert Andrew Hernandez, 13, and Armando Limas, 16.
Mayes did say the one survivor of the crash, whose name is being withheld because she’s a minor, likely will face juvenile charges for auto theft and possession of stolen property.
At this point it’s unclear how much the parents knew, if anything, about the kids’ whereabouts. None of the parents could be reached Wednesday.
District Attorney John Sarsfield has yet to receive a report on the crash, so he declined to discuss details of the accident. Regarding civil liability, though, Sarsfield said there’s “limited legal responsibility of parents” for acts of their children.
That type of liability, however, is limited to $25,000 in penalties, according to the California Civil Code.
“Those are the kinds of things that, ultimately, the parent must be accountable for,” Mayes said.
Authorities believe the two girls earlier in the day stole the 2001 Jaguar, which belonged to Wendy Cravens, the mother of the girls’ friend who hosted a slumber party the night before the accident.
Cravens told authorities she knew three hours before the crash that the vehicle had been taken, according to the CHP.
Hernandez’ aunt Juli Cooper, however, said Wednesday Cravens had been out looking for the kids and the car early Monday afternoon. Cooper said Cravens went to the home of Hernandez’ mother and uncle attempting to find them.
Cravens referred all comments to her attorney, Victor Vertner. Asked why Cravens waited to report the car missing, which she did at 10:44pm, Vertner said, “I don’t know if she did wait that long. She was talking to parents perhaps, trying to get (the car) back.”
Kollin Kosmicki covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach him at 637-5566, ext. 331 or [email protected].
