Leonard Campos, 59, pleaded not guilty on Friday to manslaughter charges. Prosecutors say Campos’ failure to control his diabetes led to a single vehicle wreck in 2009 that killed a pedestrian and injured Campos and his 18-year-old passenger, according to an article from Bakersfield.com.
Campos says he went into diabetic shock while driving, causing the terrible accident, but police say he could have done more to prevent the crash that killed 64-year old Peggy Mikkelsen, who was pulling weeds in her front yard when she was crushed by a trailer that was thrown from Campos’ work truck. Campos lost control of his truck, which hit a mound of dirt and became airborne before striking a utility poll, rolling over several times and catching on fire. Campos was also injured in the crash and airlifted to the hospital with head injuries. (See Manslaughter Charge for Man ‘Driving While Diabetic’)
Police say Campos’ blood sugar level was in the low 40s following the accident (normal range is between 80-120). Campos claims he didn’t realize his sugar was low and wasn’t noticing any of the warning signs. Some people with diabetes, especially those who have lived with the disease for a greater amount of time, can become less sensitive to the warning signs of low blood sugar, which include sweating, shaky hands and dizziness, among others.
As a safety measure, many people with diabetes will check their blood sugar before getting behind the wheel. However, that is not a guarantee they will not “go low” while driving. It is unclear if or when Campos last tested his blood sugar.
Campos’ attorney said it is unfair to charge him with a crime because he was not as successful as other patients at controlling his diabetes. However, news reports indicated police claim that Campos “admitted to being sick with diabetes.” It is not entirely clear whether Campos was simply acknowledging that he has diabetes, which is a chronic illness, to the police or whether he was aware he was suffering from one of its side-effects or complications. Police also claim Campos ignored both his passenger’s urging to pull over as well as his own warning signs that something was off with his diabetes.
Just five minutes before the crash, Campos stopped at a store to buy beer and ice, but did not buy a candy bar or soda, which could have helped bring his blood sugar back into the normal range. Campos says he had not consumed any of the beer and police have not charged him with an alcohol-related crime.
Michael Yraceburn, the Supervising Deputy District Attorney, said it is not unusual file charges when a death is caused by negligence and reckless indifference. He says the police looked into Campos’ history and found that he was endangering others through his “willful and deliberate ignoring of his diabetes.”
The case against Campos isn’t the first time prosecutors have brought charges in case where one’s medical condition played a factor. In 2003, an elderly man was convicted of similar charges when he killed 10 people and injured 70 others with his car in Santa Monica California. He could have been sent to jail for up to 18 years but was given probation because he was seriously ill.
Campos’ next scheduled hearing is in July. It is not clear from the reports whether Campos has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
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[...] Recently, Diabetes News Hound ran an article about 59-year old Leonard Campos, who is charged with manslaughter after he passed out behind the wheel due to a low blood sugar and killed a pedestrian. (See: Man Pleads Not Guilty in Diabetes Car Crash Death) [...]
[...] Earlier in the month, Diabetes News Hound ran a column about 59-year old Leonard Campos, who is facing manslaughter charges after his low blood sugar level caused him to pass out behind the wheel. The ensuing wreck killed a pedestrian and injured Campos and a passenger. Campos pleaded not guilty to the charges. (See: Man Pleads Not Guilty in Diabetes Car Crash Death). [...]
[...] Driving and diabetes has been in the news on an increasingly frequent basis. The laws in the U.S. and U.K. are different concerning driving and diabetes, with the U.K. having more restrictions (See: Man Pleads Not Guilty in Diabetes Car Crash Death). [...]