Hit and run accidents are unacceptable to our San Diego auto accident lawyers.  They are especially cold-natured not only when a wrongful death occurs as a result of a hit and run, but when the responsible motorists actively try to cover it up.

On May 24, 2010, Claudia Cabrera and her husband, Josue Luna, were convicted and sentenced for the fatal hit and run auto accident that cost the life of one USC student last year, according to the Los Angeles Times.  Another student sustained serious personal injuries and was in court to testify against the husband and wife on trial.

Hit and run accident couple given maximum sentence by judge.

Cabrera and Luna were given maximum sentences, eight years and seven years, respectively, by Los Angeles Judge Robert J. Perry for fatally striking USC student Adrianna Bachan as she walked home after a fraternity party on March 29, 2009.  The couple also hit another student, Marcus Garfinkle, breaking both of his legs.

According to accusations by law enforcement authorities, the pedestrian accident occurred when Bachan and Garfinkle were in a crosswalk near the USC campus and Cabrera ran a red light.  Bachan was killed as a result of a massive brain injury while Garfinkle landed on the hood of the couple’s Infiniti, whose 7-month-old son was in the backseat.

For 300 feet, the couple carried Garfinkle on the hood of their vehicle before — according to witness testimony — Luna exited the car to pull the student off while Cabrera pushed his body through the windshield from the inside of the car.  After they put his body on the road, the couple drove off.

Garfinkle testified in court against the husband and wife, saying that he was treated like an animal and now his family faces over $200,000 in medical bills that their health care provider is refusing to pay.

L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Janis Johnson explained to the court that Cabrera left the scene of the accident because she had been drinking alcohol earlier in the evening.  At the time of the pedestrian accident, she was driving with a suspended license and lied to the police about her part in the accident, citing Luna as the driver.

Police say that Luna promised to turn over the wrecked Infiniti after towing it to Tijuana, Mexico in an effort to cover up the damage done to the windshield.  The car never came back across the border.

In March, 2010, Cabrera and Luna pleaded no contest to felony hit and run resulting in great bodily injury, with Cabrera pleading the same way to a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter.

In cases such as this, our San Diego auto accident lawyers believe the maximum sentence must be given out, if only to set an example that hit-and-run driving deaths will not be tolerated in our society.  It appears that Cabrera and Luna were not just negligent in their actions, but malicious in the way they attempted to cover up the accident.  There are no words to describe the feeling of loss that comes with losing a loved one in an auto accident, but it is an even harder emotion to stomach when the persons at-fault attempt to hide their involvement.

Our firm assists families after a hit and run accident has seriously injured or taken the live of someone they love.  These are complex situations and in your hour of need, the best course of action is to hire a legal team that would know how to represent you best in your one chance at justice.

Call us anytime night or day at 1-800-655-6585 for a FREE Consultation with an auto accident lawyer. You may also click here to submit your case for a FREE Online Review.

About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.