Driver deported 16 times pleads guilty to fatal Co. crash

A truck driver with a history of deportation has pleaded guilty to multiple misdemeanor charges after a fatal crash in Colorado in June.  

The accident happened on Highway 285 in Jefferson County, Colorado on June 11th after 47-year-old truck driver Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza lost control of his semi truck, causing a load of metal to dump on top of multiple cars. 64-year-old Scott Miller was killed in the wreck. 

Since the accident, investigation revealed that Cruz-Mendoza had been deported at least 16 times prior to the wreck, and the company he was driving for had a history of hiring unlicensed drivers for their commercial vehicles. 

News 9 reports that, on Wednesday, July 31st, Cruz-Mendoza pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving resulting in death and three counts of careless driving resulting in injury – all misdemeanor traffic charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30th.