Prosecutor Disappointed in Plea Agreement for Driver who Took Off After Passenger Fell Out of His Truck

An Orange County prosecutor said today he objected to a judge’s plea bargain of a year in jail for a truck driver involved in the hit- and-run death of a woman in Santa Ana.

Jaqwun Laerin Turner, 33, of Hawthorne, pleaded guilty Monday to felony hit-and-run with permanent and serious injury and was ordered to report to jail by Oct. 10.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Robert Fitzgerald, who offered Turner the plea deal, also put the defendant on five years of probation.

Deputy District Attorney Stephen Cornwell told City News Service he believes Turner should have spent time in prison for causing the death of Martha Rodezno, 51, of Los Angeles.

“He didn’t stop to render aid,” Cornwell said. “He left her to die alone in the road. He didn’t so much as make a phone call to get assistance to her, and then he didn’t take any responsibility at all by ever contacting the police.”

Rodezno fell out of the petroleum tanker truck that Turner was driving just before 2:45 a.m. on Dec. 8, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

Rodezno got into a dispute at a family party in Mission Viejo and walked to a gas station near Avery Parkway and the Santa Ana (5) Freeway in Laguna Niguel about midnight, Bertagna said. She apparently was asking for rides and ended up getting into Turner’s truck, he said.

“She was trying to get home after becoming upset at a family gathering in Orange County late at night,” said Turner’s attorney, Errol Cook. “She approached a tow truck driver for a ride, but he refused. She approached Mr. Turner and he reluctantly agreed. He was reluctant because he was driving a big rig.”

Another motorist called police to reportseeing Rodezno falling out of the truck as it was traveling north on the 5 Freeway near the Garden Grove (22) Freeway, Bertagna said.

While the truck was moving, Rodezno told Turner she wanted out, Cook said.

“As my client was trying to downshift, slow down the truck, she opened the door and stepped out,” Cook said. “She died shortly after impact. My client had no idea that she was going to exit his truck in this fashion. He was shocked, fearful and pretty much panicked after witnessing this and left. The crime occurred because he failed to stop.”

Cornwell said that’s the defendant’s version of what happened.

“That is the only evidence we have, and there’s only one source for this evidence,” Cornwell said. “There’s only two people who were there who knew what happened and only one of them is left.”

Police managed to track down the truck company and then determined who was driving the rig at that time, Bertagna said.

Turner will lose his commercial driver’s license for one year, but the Department of Motor Vehicles may issue further sanctions, according to Cook.

“The judge stated that he (Turner) received the sentence because other people were at the assistance of the deceased almost immediately and Mr. Turner’s actions would not have changed the resulting death,” Cook said. “Mr. Turner is very remorseful for what happened and has expressed his condolences to her son.”

If Turner had gone to trial and been convicted, he would have faced up to four years in prison, Cornwell said.

--City News Service

PHOTO Patch file photo.