Man Faces 16 Years in
Jail For Causing Traffic
Accident Deaths
The Fiscalía
(prosecution) yesterday
asked the court to
condemn Carlos Alberto
Robles Ureña, 25, to 16
years in jail for
causing the death of
four people in a traffic
accident while being
drunk at the wheel.
The petition was made by
fiscal Xinia Torres
Alvarado in her closing
arguments of trial being
held at the Tribunal de
Juicio de Desamparados,
San José.
The accident occurred on
October 26, 2004, at an
intersection in
Desamparados on the road
knownas Gravillas.
Orlando Araya
Villalobos, María
Cristina Valerín Chévez,
Natalia Chavarría
Valerín died at the
scene of the accident.
José Alexis Araya Beita
died months later in
hospital.
The fiscal alledges that
Robles was driving
recklessly and did not
respect the traffic
light and found to have
a blood alcohol reading
of 1.13 - equivalent to
12 beers - a condition
of drunkedness according
to the Ley de tránsito -
traffic laws.
Jorge Danilo Guzmán
Arrieta, representing
the victims in the civil
action of the trial said
the man was not over the
limit, he was "drunk".
The trial also heard
testimony that Robles
was speeding and was in
a state of euphoria when
90 minutes earlier he
had been stopped by a
Tránsito (traffic
official) and was giving
a ticket for driving
under the influence but
did not have his vehicle
confiscated as it was
the duty of the officer.
In addition to Robles,
the fiscal is asking for
a fine of ¢158 million
colones to be applied
against the owner of the
vehicle, Francisco
Robles, brother of the
Carlos Robles, as part
of the civil action to
the paid to the family
of the victims.
For his part, Jaime
Solano Barrios, Robles
defence lawyer told the
court in his closing
statement that the
fiscalía did not
demonstrate with
certainty that his
client was behind the
wheel. Barrios admitted
the Robles was at the
scene of the accident
and that he was in
hospital for three days
recovering from injuries
in the accident, but
there was no proof to
show that his client was
driving at the time of
the accident.
The decision of the
court is expected later
today (Tuesday). |
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