A man suspected of wrecking a tractor-trailer along a Colorado highway last week, killing one person and injuring another, is an illegal immigrant who has long been deported from the United States, authorities say.
Ignacio Cruz Mendoza, 47, of Mexico, faces reckless driving and homicide-related charges in connection with the June 11 crash.
According to Colorado State Police (CSP), Mendoza was carrying a load of pipe up a steep grade on Highway 285 near Conifer when he lost control of the trailer, which went off the road and overturned.
A large amount of pipes and angle iron spilled from the tractor-trailer and splashed onto five other vehicles. One person was killed and another was seriously injured, according to CSP. Mendoza was uninjured.
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LR: Mugshot of Ignacio Cruz Mendoza in the wreckage of a fatal crash that happened last week along US 285 in Colorado. (Colorado State Police, KDVR)
The wreckage closed the highway in both directions and the road remained closed for more than 12 hours while authorities worked to clear the road.
Cruz-Mendoza was arrested and booked into the Jefferson County Jail. CSP said the suspect does not have a local address.
An ICE spokesman confirmed that Cruz Mendoza has a long history of being deported to Mexico, stretching back more than 20 years. ICE first learned of Cruz Mendoza in April 2002, when he was arrested in Jefferson County, Oregon, on local charges, the ICE spokesman said.
Aerial photos show the wreckage along U.S. 285 near Conifer, Colorado. (KDVR)
An immigration judge ordered Cruz Mendoza deported to Mexico on May 29, 2002. Since then, he has been deported from the United States or voluntarily returned to Mexico 16 times, according to ICE.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Denver, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, reviewed Cruz-Mendoza’s arrest and filed a detention order to notify him of his possible release.
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Cruz Mendoza remains in custody, according to online court records. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 30.
