The Prosecutor’s office orange County (CA) could not bring charges against the perpetrator of the accident that occurred in the New year in the area of garden Gro. The accident killed 33-year-old jolene Gardner and her 9-year-old daughter Peyton Castillo.
Yesterday, January 3, the 30-year-old Melvin Branch was supposed to stand trial, but prosecutors returned the case to a Road service California (California Highway Patrol — CHP) for further investigation, declaring detectives provided evidence of guilt is insufficient Brunch.
We were there when suspected drunk driver Melvin Branch was released from jail. Police say he caused a 4-car crash that killed a mom & her 9 year old daughter. @nbcla #nbcla pic.twitter.com/CHxKuQW7gJ
— Kim Tobin (@KimTobinNBCLA) January 4, 2019
January 1, 12.50, Melvin Branch was driving his BMW on highway 22. Several times the man tried to overtake Lexus, causing the Lexus driver lost control and crashed into the barrier, but, fortunately, was not injured. Then Scorcher ahead of the Ford pickup, which was traveling jolene Gardner with daughter. Their car flipped over and crashed into a Mazda car and then the guardrail. The driver of the Mazda was also lucky he was not injured. Little Payton died at the scene and her mother was pronounced dead at the hospital an hour after the accident.
Branch, which before the New year turned 30 years old, was arrested in a state of intoxication shortly after the accident.
#OrangeCounty DA: case against Melvin Branch man accused of #DUI in #NewYearsDay crash, has been rejected for insufficient evidence at this time. Multi-car crash killed 33YO woman and her 9YO daughter on the 22 freeway. @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/hvctpkQUXt
— Greg Lee (@abc7greg) January 3, 2019
Now the man is on the loose, but the investigation into the incident continues.
According to the CHP, from 28 December to 2 January accident in California claimed 36 lives. On suspicion of drunk driving these days in the state was arrested 1 140.
