PLEASANTON -- A jury found trucker
Larry Milliron guilty of manslaughter Thursday in connection with a
freeway accident that killed a pregnant woman last year.
The jury deliberated a little more than a day before
returning the verdict on one charge of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
Milliron will be sentenced next month and faces up to one year in county
jail, deputy district attorney Amilcar Ford said.
"This was a big tragedy. A lot of people's lives were
affected," Ford said. "And the saddest part is that ... a woman who was
four-and-a-half months pregnant was killed as a result of his actions."
Milliron, 57, of Sheridan, Wyo., pleaded not guilty prior to the
three-day trial in Alameda County Superior Court. His attorney did not
return a phone call Friday seeking comment.
Milliron's big rig plowed into a Volkswagen Jetta on Interstate 580
early July 17, 2000. Killed was Manteca resident Christine Watts, 26, who
was nearly five months pregnant.
The jury agreed with the California Highway Patrol's assessment that
Milliron drove too fast and swerved unsafely to avoid slower traffic on a
congested stretch of westbound I-580 between the Hopyard Road exit and the
Interstate 680 interchange.
The 2000 Volvo big rig, loaded with carpet and weighing 71,150 pounds,
was driving between 55 mph and 65 mph when it rear-ended the Jetta,
crushing the car and driving it down with enough force to leave divots in
the freeway, Ford said.
Three other cars were struck as well. Sven Rafferty of Manteca drove
the Jetta, with his wife in the passenger seat and friend Watts in the
left-rear passenger seat.
"I'm doing better. My back still hurts, and my shoulder still hurts,"
Rafferty said Friday. "But at least I'm alive."
Rafferty suffered a concussion, his upper left arm was shattered, his
right collarbone was broken and his lungs were injured. He spent nine days
in intensive care. His wife, Liz, suffered less serious injuries.
Watts is survived by her husband, Jason. The two couples and another
family had moved to Manteca from San Jose in 1999 in search of lower
mortgages, wide-open spaces and a close-knit neighborhood.
Milliron was fatigued when the crash occurred, investigators said.
Police discovered his California driver's license had been suspended in
1996, although he had a valid Wyoming license. The Raffertys and Jason
Watts have sued Milliron and his employer.
Staff writer Scott Marshall contributed to this article. Reach Karl
Fischer at 925-743-2216 or kfischer@cctimes.com.
