A Santa Paula woman charged with vehicular manslaughter in the fatal crash that claimed the life of emergency medical technician Christopher Ronald Parry more than a year ago, will be arrested the next time she has any dealing with law enforcement, according to the CHP.
A bench warrant for the arrest of 51-year-old Yolanda Munoz Hernandez was issued in late June when she failed to appear at the Santa Clarita Courthouse on a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter and an infraction for unsafe speed.
“A bench warrant is issued by the court, in this case since she missed her appearance date, the court issued the warrant with our information on it,” California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Greengard told The Signal Monday.
“As far as us looking for her, we are not actively sitting at her house but if any officer or deputy comes in contact with her for any reason, she will be arrested and taken to court, and our investigators will be notified,” he said.
Hernandez, who was 50 years old when the fatal crash happened, is now 51.
Chris Parry, a 35-year-old father or two young children who lived in Ojai, was on his way to work on Aug. 24, 2016, when the traffic collision occurred.
Parry worked as an EMT with American Medical Response Inc.
The fatal crash happened shortly before 5:45 a.m. on Highway 126, just east of the Ventura County line, Greengard said at the time of the crash.
The motorcyclist – Parry – was operating a 2008 Shang Motorcycle scooter, traveling eastbound on Highway 126 in the “number 2 lane” which is the lane next to the fast lane, at an unknown speed, Greengard said at that time.
The driver of a 2006 Dodge Stratus – later identified by CHP investigators as Hernandez – was traveling eastbound on the same roadway in the same line directly behind the motorcyclist, Greengard said shortly after the crash.
The driver of the Dodge was “traveling at a greater speed than (the motorcyclist),” he said, who “failed to notice” the motorcyclist directly in front of her.
The Dodge rear-ended the motorcycle causing the motorcyclist to be ejected off the scooter and over the Dodge, Greengard said in August 2016.
Hernandez was arrested two months later.
And, on June 26, 2017, the Santa Paula resident was scheduled to be arraigned on the misdemeanor charge and the infraction.
When she failed to appear, however, a bench warrant was issued for her arrest.
“A bench warrant is issued when a defendant does not appear on a scheduled court date,” Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in June.
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