Burbank Man, Canyon Country Man In Court On DUI Charges

Posted by: Perry Smith in Santa Clarita News June 27, 2013 - 4:43 pm 0 1,296 Views

Two wrong-way drivers had court dates Thursday in separate Highway 14 collisions that happened within a week of each other.

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Bradford E. Pate, 38, of Burbank, was “a medical miss-out” for his court date because he is still recovering from the injuries he sustained in his Tuesday crash.

Rick Allen Walker, 54, of Canyon Country, pleaded not guilty to four counts of DUI causing injury.

Pate’s court date was continued until Friday, when he will face two murder charges, a charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, a DUI causing injury and the charge of a DUI with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent causing injury.

Pate is being charged will killing the Rev. Manard Giles, and Mattie Lee Ferguson.

If convicted, Pate faces up to life in prison.

Walker’s crash left 11 people injured, according to a California Highway Patrol report; however, only four victims are listed in the criminal complaint he answered to Thursday.

The injured parties are David Becker, Fernando Lopez, Maryanne Looram and Ashley Haslauer, the complaint stated.

Pate currently is hospitalized, but prosecutors have asked that he be held in lieu of $3 million bail.

Pate drove a 2006 Toyota Tundra south into the northbound lanes of Highway 14, near Escondido Canyon Road, at 3:28 a.m. Saturday, when he collided with a 2006 Chrysler 300, which swerved and struck a rideshare van, according to a CHP report.

Giles, a 77-year-old Quartz Hill minister, who drove the 2006 Chrysler 300 died on scene in Saturday’s collision.

Mattie Lee Ferguson, a 60-year-old Lancaster woman who was a passenger in Giles’s car, succumbed to her injuries Monday night at Providence Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills.

Lennard A. Wilds, 47, of Lancaster, another passenger in Giles’s vehicle, was trapped in the car until rescuers could later free him. He sustained critical injuries, and was airlifted to Henry Mayo.

All three victims are listed in the complaint against Pate.

Walker is being held in lieu of $430,000 bail at the North County Correctional Facility.

He’s due back in court Aug. 19 for his preliminary hearing.

Walker faces a maximum of eight years in prison if convicted on all counts, according to prosecutors.

The driver of the Dodge 2500 pickup that Walker crashed into has been identified as 48-year-old Fernando Cedeno of Lancaster, who suffered major injuries, including a compound fracture of his right arm.

CHP Reports say that the collision injured 11 people.

In addition to Walker and Cedeno, the injured included:

Myisha Hatfied, 36, a Lancaster woman, drove a 2008 Infiniti, suffered minor injuries and complained of pain.

Alanna Grant, 36, a Lancaster woman, a passenger in Hatfield’s Infiniti. She suffered minor injuries and complained of pain.

Fernando Lopez, 48, a Lancaster man, drove a 1998 Toyota Tacoma pickup and suffered major injuries, including a compound fracture of his left arm. He was transported to Antelope Valley Hospital.

David Becker, 53, a Palmdale man, drove a GMC Sonoma pickup. He suffered major injuries including a broken back and was transported to Henry Mayo Hospital in Valencia.

Maryann Looram, 59, a Palmdale woman, drove a 2001 Honda Accord. Like Becker, she suffered a broken back in the crash and was also transported to Henry Mayo Hospital.

Thomas Schroeder, 56, a Palmdale man, drove a 2007 Honda Civic. He suffered minor injuries and complained of back pain.

Francisco Cerda, 59, a Palmdale man, a passenger in Schroeder’s Honda Civic. He suffered minor injuries and complained of lower back pain.

Ashley Hausler, 34, a Lancaster woman, drove a 2010 Toyota Corolla. She suffered major injuries that included a dislocated shoulder and abdominal bleeding and was airlifted to Antelope Valley Hospital.

Volodymyr Smolianyi, 47, a Vernon Hills man. He drove a 2009 Volvo three-axle truck tractor and was belived to have suffered minor injuries.

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