Fountain Valley Mechanic Charged in Wreck that Crushed Man

A Fountain Valley man faces prison for allegedly driving under the influence of methamphetamine and crashing into a parked RV, causing it to crush a man working on its undercarriage.

Marco Morales, 50, is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license.

He faces four years in prison if convicted.

At his arraignment, prosecutors will ask for bail to be set at $100,000.

According to prosecutors, on the morning of Oct. 1, Morales was under the influence while driving to work as a mechanic in a Fountain Valley industrial area. At the time, Timothy Michaud, 49, was working underneath an RV parked on the side of the road and elevated on blocks. The RV was protruding slightly into the road, and Morales allegedly failed to avoid it, crashing into it and causing it to fall onto Michaud. Morales stayed at the scene and worked with witnesses trying to free Michaud with a hydraulic jack. But Michaud was crushed by the RV and died at the scene.

A blood test later showed Morales to be under the influence of a “high quantity of methamphetamine,” according to a district attorney press release.