Fountain Valley Man Pleads Not Guilty in Crushing Death

A Fountain Valley resident accused of causing the death of a 49-year-old man, who was crushed underneath his recreational vehicle, pleaded not guilty today to a felony charge of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Marco Vinicio Morales, 50, also is charged with 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. last Oct. 1, according to Fountain Valley police.

The RV was parked on the side of the road, east of Ward Street, and Timothy Michaud was underneath it doing repairs when he was crushed to death, according to Deputy District Attorney Troy Pino.

Morales, who is an automobile mechanic, was driving a customer's truck and was high on methamphetamine at the time, Pino alleged. He said Morales and others tried to free Michaud with a hydraulic jack, but were unsuccessful.

Morales, who was ordered to return to court May 2 for a pretrial hearing, faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

 - City News Service