Randy Vega enters court
A trial date of Nov. 4 has been set for the man charged in a wreck on Frazier Avenue that killed two members of a visiting Florida family and left a third with extensive injuries.
Randy Vega appeared briefly in the courtroom of Criminal Court Judge Boyd Patterson on Tuesday morning.
Vega is to be back in court on July 21 for any motions that come up.
In a lawsuit, the surviving member of the family, Octavio Devia Paz, of Jacksonville, said last Nov. 25 he was standing at the corner of Frazier and Forrest Avenue with his family when a vehicle being driven by Vega was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Dr. Patrick McGinty.
The Vega vehicle then hit Mr. Paz, Ana Posso, 41, and Johnathan Paz, age one year and 11 months. The wife and son were killed on impact.
Octavio Paz said he had undergone 127 surgeries and incurred over $1.5 million in medical bills as of the filing of the complaint. He said he is unable to walk.
The District Attorney's office decided not to prosecute Dr. McGinty.
Prosecutor Brian Finlay said, "After a review of the available evidence including multiple videos of the incident, we do not believe a jury would convict Patrick McGinty if he were charged."
The suit says the city hired Alta Planning & Design for a Frazier Avenue traffic study that recommended reducing the number of travel lanes and on-street parking spaces, but the changes were not made at the time. A number of traffic alterations on Frazier Avenue have since been made by the city.
There had been six other wrecks at the same corner prior to this one, it was stated.