Family members of a mother who died in a crash shared their heartbreak this week after the man found responsible for the crash received probation.
Manuel Rosas Aguilar, 41, also was ordered to pay fines and assessed fees that had not yet been determined, as well as take part in community labor and the “Hospital and Morgue Program,” according to court records available online.
He pleaded no contest Oct. 31 to one count of gross vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence in the November 2023 crash that killed 31-year-old Cynthia Campana-Contreras, a Valencia mother of two who worked for the city of Lancaster’s housing services.
Rosas Aguilar’s 2016 white Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck was heading north
on San Francisquito Canyon Road around 5:11 p.m. when his vehicle crossed over the double-yellow lines north of Pelton Street, near Green Valley, and struck the 2017 Honda CRV Campana-Contreras was driving southbound.
The California Highway Patrol officers who investigated the crash did not cite the reason that Rosas Aguilar was arrested more than six months after the crash in June.
His criminal charge, 192(c)(2), indicates negligence not considered “gross” or severe that might produce death in an unlawful manner, according to the California Penal Code, which could include behavior such as texting and driving.
A Gofundme to help the family raised more than $42,000 toward its $20,000 goal due to a flood of support.
“Cynthia leaves behind her loving husband, Carlos, and two wonderful children, Jacob (5) and Penelope (3),” according to the web page. “Her love and legacy will live on in the lives of those she touched in her short time here.”
CHP officers released a preliminary report on the crash that stated Manuel Rosas Aguilar, a Lancaster resident, was driving the truck at the time of the crash and sustained major injuries. His truck caught fire after the collision and came to a stop in the southbound lanes, according to the CHP report.
