An alleged drunk driver charged with killing four people in a fiery, chain-reaction crash involving a California Highway Patrol officer broke down Tuesday during a court appearance on murder charges.
Iris Salmeron bowed her head and closed her eyes in Los Angeles Superior Court as she appeared before a judge at an arraignment for her role in July’s fatal wreck on the 605 Freeway in Downey.
Salmeron faces four counts of murder plus four felony counts of driving under the influence after she allegedly plowed at 110mph into a disabled vehicle stalled on the side of the road.
CHP officer Angelo Rodriguez, who is also charged with four counts of murder for his part in the deadly crash, sat stone-faced as he appeared at the same hearing.
Prosecutors say Rodriguez was driving his patrol car at 130 mph on the 605 with his lights and siren off when he slammed into a Nissan carrying Julianna Hamori, Armand DelCampo, Jordan Partridge, and Samantha Skocilic.
Rodriguez left the disabled Nissan in the southbound HOV lane to call in an accident without mentioning that he had been involved, according to prosecutors.
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While Rodriguez was away, Salmeron then slammed into the stopped Nissan, prosecutors said. All four occupants of the stalled vehicle burned to death. Each of the victims were LA-area locals in their 20s.
Gruesome footage captured from a passing car showed the Nissan engulfed in flames.
Hamori and Delcampo were getting ready to marry, and Hamori had even picked out her wedding dress, according to her aunt.
Both Salmeron and Rodriguez face life in prison.
They are set to appear again in court on April 27 for a continuation of their arraignment, where they are expected to enter pleas.
At a press conference to announce the charges against Salmeron and Rodriguez, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said there was no information on whether Rodriguez was impaired at the time of the crash.
“These cases are some of the hardest cases I have to talk about,” the DA said.
Bail was set at $8 million for Rodriguez and $8.1 million for Salmeron.
