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A San Mateo County jury Thursday found 19-year-old Edith Delgado innocent of felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for causing a July crash on U.S. 101 in Menlo Park that killed three people, including two members of the Tongan royal family.
After a nearly three-week trial, Ms. Delgado was convicted of the lesser charge of three counts of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, prompting her to break down in tears in the courtroom as her attorney Randy Moore hugged her.
She faced a possibility of serving up to eight years in prison but will now likely only face one year in county jail at her sentencing Aug. 24, according to Mr. Moore.
“This is so good. I’m just overwhelmed,” he said outside the courtroom, where Ms. Delgado’s family and friends wept and embraced. “They did what the jury system is supposed to do and came out with the right verdict.”
The July 5 nighttime crash occurred when Ms. Delgado’s white Mustang changed lanes and sideswiped a Ford Explorer carrying Tonga’s Prince Tu’ipelehake, 54; Princess Kaimana Tu’ipelehake, 45; and their driver, Vinisia Hefa, 36. All three were killed when the Explorer lost control and flipped over on the highway.
Deputy District Attorney Aaron Fitzgerald had alleged Ms. Delgado was driving at speeds in excess of 80 mph and dangerously weaving in and out of traffic as she raced another vehicle, thought to have been a black Cadillac Escalade, before the crash.
The Escalade and its driver were never found, which partly played into the jury’s decision, jury foreman Frank Johnson III said outside the courtroom.
“There was no evidence of racing,” Mr. Johnson said. “It was just two people driving fast on the freeway.”
Mr. Johnson conceded that the jury had been deadlocked, even contentious, for much of their nearly three days of deliberations, but in the end, they found that all 12 jury members could agree that Ms. Delgado’s behavior constituted a misdemeanor, he said.
“Gross negligence calls for a person to have disregard for human life,” Mr. Johnson said, adding that evidence Ms. Delgado slowed down before changing lanes argued against that.
“I would have to say everybody feels comfortable with the decision,” Mr. Johnson said.
Although the crash was “tragic,” Mr. Moore said, “Edith told them all along that she was not racing on that freeway,” he said.
He also credited his own accident reconstruction expert, who testified in the trial that he estimated Ms. Delgado was only going 70 to 75 mph before the crash.
Mr. Moore praised the jury’s extensive and thoughtful deliberation in the case. “We had a smart jury here,” he said.
“God bless the jury system and God bless this jury,” Mr. Moore beamed.
Mr. Moore said Ms. Delgado had been terrified of the impending decision over the last few days. “It was unimaginable that she held up the way she did,” he said.
“We’re just really happy with the outcome,” Ms. Delgado’s older brother Juan said, acknowledging that the decision was not a “win-win” for all involved. “We’re praying for the victims and their families and their loved ones,” he said.
Of the racing accusations against his sister, Juan Delgado said, “It hurt us a lot, what they were saying about her.”
He admitted that he had been surprised by the jury’s decision, but addded, “That’s all we asked, for them to be fair.”
After the decision, Judge John Runde agreed to reduce Ms. Delgado’s bail to $40,000.
“We’re getting her out [of jail] … right now,” Mr. Moore said as he rushed off.
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