O.C. man sentenced in vehicle crash that killed 4-month-old girl [Updated]

A Huntington Beach man who killed a 4-month-old girl after his vehicle plowed into her stroller was sentenced Tuesday to three years of informal probation.

[Corrected, 4:36 p.m.: A previous version of this post incorrectly said the girl was 4 years old.]

Robert Anthony Casares, 50, was also ordered to donate $5,500 to the Joyful Child Foundation and to complete 300 of hours community service as a school crossing guard after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter, the Orange County district attorney's office said.

Casares became distracted after he tried to prevent his laptop from falling off the seat onto the floor of his SUV as drove over railroad tracks in Huntington Beach in September, the district attorney's office said. He smashed into the rear of a truck, causing it to strike the girl as she was being pushed in a crosswalk by her mother.

The force of the impact knocked the girl about 70 feet, according to prosecutors. The mother suffered a dislocated shoulder and fractured vertebrae. Her 11-year-old niece, who was walking with her, received a broken femur.

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-- Robert J. Lopez
Twitter: @LAJourno

Comments

[newshawk]

While I'm not saying we should lock him up and throw away the key, it seems pretty insane that he gets probation for three years. He killed a baby with his carelessness and that sends the wrong message to "distracted drivers." The punishment does not fit the crime.

[mskay]

I agree with newshawk its actually pretty petty that all he gets is probation for "saving a laptop". Honestly i dont think a fall from the seat to the floor would have done any harsh damage. Unless its a lie and he was really doin something else because if im driving the last thing i pay attention to is the back or passenger seat.