HolyCoast: Truck Driver Who Killed Three Kids Convicted

In a postscript to one of the saddest stories to hit this area, the truck driver responsible for the accident which killed three kids almost within view of my house has been convicted of vehicular manslaughter:

The driver of a truck that crashed into the back of a family van, killing the three young Coble children of Ladera Ranch, was convicted today of vehicular manslaughter and faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

Jorge Miguel Romero, 38, of Apple Valley, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter for the May 4, 2007 crash that killed 5-year-old Kyle, 4-year-old Emma and 2-year-old Katie Coble.

The deaths of the three siblings sparked an outpouring of support for the parents from their Ladera Ranch community, and moved the parents to push for changes in the trucking industry.

Lori Coble, the children's mother, was driving the children and their grandmother back home after a day at the Irvine Spectrum, where the family was celebrating Kyle's birthday with a ride in the Ferris wheel.

Lori Coble slowed her mini-van down as they were exiting the I-5 freeway at Oso Parkway when Romero crashed into the van's rear, through the backseat where the children were sitting.

Kyle, Emma and Katie, who were all sitting in restraining seats, died as a result of the crash.

Investigators determined Romero was driving at about 60 to 70 mph in a semi-truck, carrying more than 400,000 pounds of electronic equipment. A California Highway Patrol investigation determined Romero was driving at an unsafe speed for the traffic conditions that day.

Romero hit the breaks too late to stop the truck in time, killin+g the children of Chris and Lori Coble, according to authorities.