Fountain Valley Man Admits to Driving High During Crash that Crushed and Killed a Man

A Fountain Valley resident who was high on methamphetamine when he crashed an SUV into a disabled recreational vehicle, crushing a man who was working underneath it, has begun serving a 16-month jail term, a prosecutor said today.

Marco Vincio Morales, 52, pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter for causing the crash that killed Timothy Michaud on Oct. 1, 2012, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker.

The defendant accepted a plea deal from Orange County Superior Court Judge Robert Fitzgerald on Friday and was given credit for 48 days in custody. Morales also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license.

Morales was eastbound on Lawson River Avenue when he crashed a white GMC Blazer into the victim’s inoperable RV about 7:15 a.m., according to Fountain Valley police.

The RV was parked on the side of the road, east of Ward Street, and Michaud was underneath it doing repairs when he was crushed to death. Morales and others tried to free Michaud with a hydraulic jack, but were unsuccessful.

Morales, who is an automobile mechanic, was driving a customer’s vehicle and was high on methamphetamine at the time, according to prosecutors.

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• City News Service