The Woodward News

Local News

July 17, 2008

Family looking for justice

The driver of a semi trailer that caused the deaths of four people in a fiery accident last October was charged with negligent homicide in Woodward County District Court Tuesday.

Luis Miguel Jimenez pled not guilty to four misdemeanor counts of negligent homicide during his arraignment Tuesday, according to Woodward County court records.

Court records also show that Associate District Judge Joseph Marak set bond at $10,000 and granted Jimenez permission to leave the state so he could return to his home in California.

Jimenez’s next court appearance has been set for Oct. 1 at 10 a.m., almost a full year from the date of the accident which occurred Oct. 23, 2007.

District Attorney Hollis Thorp explained that the reason it took his office almost nine months to file charges against Jimenez is because “these things take time.”

“We were waiting to get the report from (Oklahoma Highway Patrol) Troop Z,” he said, noting that he would “much rather have a case brought to (him) that has been very well investigated, very well worked than one that is brought to (him) in a hurry.”

Thorp also noted that “it’s an unusual case. Not that often do you have four people killed in a negligent homicide case.”

Those four people were Debra Diane Green, 54, of Seiling; Roger Daily Green, 60, of Seiling; Arthur Adam Hebert, 73, of Anniston, Ala.; and Joann Singleton Hebert, 64, of Anniston, Ala. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s accident report, these four people were killed when their vehicles were struck by Jimenez’s semi after he failed to stop at a line of traffic that was stopped in a construction zone along Highway 270.

Despite the fact that four people were killed, Thorp said Jimenez only received misdemeanor charges because the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has primarily reserved felony manslaughter charges for fatality accidents caused by a driver who was under the influence.

“I could not file manslaughter charges,” he said. “If I could have, I would have.”

Family members of Joann and Arthur Hebert made a special trip to Woodward Tuesday to be present for Jimenez’s first court appearance.

“We all feel this truck driver should be punished to the full extent of the law,” said Joann Hebert’s son Mark Gomez, noting that he was speaking on behalf of Joann’s family, including her two other sons and daughter.

“Our beautiful mother and step-father went on a trip . . . only to be returned in a pine cremation box,” Gomez said. “We still don’t know why. We’ve had no explanation from the driver.”

“We’re looking for justice,” he said.

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