TL/DR –
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will not press felony charges against Pedro Quintana Lujan, who was accused of crashing into a group of bicyclists in February, killing two and injuring 19. Lujan, who was driving a truck, claimed his steering wheel locked up causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The County Attorney’s Office stated that while the crash was horrific, evidence was insufficient for a felony conviction and the case has been referred back to the city of Goodyear for further review.
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Avoids Prosecuting Quintana Lujan for Fatal Bicycle Crash
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has decided not to prosecute Pedro Quintana Lujan who was accused of crashing into a group of bicyclists in Goodyear, Arizona, in February, resulting in two fatalities and 19 injuries.
County Attorney Rachel Mitchell stated that Lujan, who was driving a truck at the time of the accident, would not face felony charges. Lujan allegedly lost control of his vehicle after the steering wheel locked up, causing him to crash into the cycling club near Cotton Lane and MC 85.
The County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) will however refer the case back to the city of Goodyear for further review. Mitchell said, “The crash caused by Quintana-Lujan was horrific, taking lives and leaving many more seriously injured and deeply traumatized”. She added that evidence collected was insufficient to secure a felony conviction, prompting the referral to the Goodyear City Prosecutor.
Investigations revealed that Quintana-Lujan was neither speeding, distracted, nor under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Despite the presence of a small amount of THC (a metabolite of marijuana) in his system, the law in Arizona does not provide a standard for proving impairment solely based on THC. A Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) had examined Quintana-Lujan, but the results were inconclusive.
—
Read More US News; Arizona News