Motorist pleads not guilty in 83-year-old pedestrian’s death

The motorist accused of running over an 83-year-old Fresno man and leaving the scene said Tuesday he was not guilty of vehicular manslaughter, hit and run, and reckless driving.

In his first appearance in Fresno County Superior Court, 21-year-old Edgar Ernesto Rueda wore a red jail jumpsuit, leg irons and handcuffs. He remained mostly silent, other than to deny his involvement in the death of Jose Rodriguez, who was in his electric wheelchair crossing Cedar Avenue when he was struck by a 2005 Dodge Ram pickup truck around noon July 20 near Floradora avenue in east-central Fresno.

Rueda’s next court appearance is Aug. 3, when a hearing will be held to determine whether to increase his $125,000 bail.

Police contend Rueda has admitted to investigators that he was driving the 2005 Dodge Ram truck that hit and killed Rodriguez, an Army veteran.

Police said investigators learned of Rueda’s involvement in the deadly collision from a tip called in at 11 p.m. Wednesday. He was arrested the next day, and the truck was impounded as evidence.

In court Tuesday, prosecutor Tim Donovan asked Judge John Gallagher to increase Rueda’s bail because Rueda pleaded guilty on June 30 to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. “It’s for the protection of the public,” Donovan said.

Gallagher, however, delayed a ruling on the bail to Aug. 3 to give Rueda’s lawyer time to research the issue.

Typically, a conviction of vehicular manslaughter carries a sentence of up to six years in prison. Because Donovan told Gallagher that Rueda has a prior strike offense for a conviction of a serious felony, his sentence could be doubled under the Three Strikes law if convicted of the charges.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Motorist pleads not guilty in 83-year-old pedestrian’s death."