Thread: Carwash driver kills manager

Thursday, April 26, 2007
Carwash driver kills manager
A man runs into a 15-year employee and father before hitting a clothes store and two vehicles.
By KIMBERLY EDDS
The Orange County Register

COSTA MESA – A carwash manager was crushed to death by a Mercedes SUV on Wednesday afternoon while directing one of his employees to park cars, leaving co-workers and customers stunned.

Friends and family members rushed to the Classic Hand Car Wash on Wells Place, not wanting to believe what they had heard. Eduardo Rodriguez, 36, an outgoing husband and father who seemed to be everyone's friend, was dead. The Costa Mesa man left behind a wife and 2-month-old baby. He had worked at the car wash for 15 years.

Rodriguez was standing in front of a freshly detailed Toyota Tundra about 4:10 p.m. when he directed a Elias Izara, 25, of Costa Mesa, to bring around a 2007 Mercedes SUV that had been brought in for detailing, Costa Mesa police Lt. David Andersen said. The carwash's regular driver had called in sick, and Izara was filling in moving cars from the car wash to detailing.

Rodriguez was signaling him to move closer to the Tundra when the Mercedes suddenly lurched forward, Andersen said.

The Mercedes SUV slammed into Rodriguez, pinning him against the Tundra. The SUV kept accelerating, pushing the Tundra out of the way and running over Rodriguez as it sped forward, Andersen said. The Mercedes crashed into a clothing store in the middle of a traffic circle, knocking over a potted palm tree.

The SUV kept going, careening into a black Escalade as it sped around the loop, hitting the store a second time and stopping almost exactly where it first took off.

"He wasn't their regular driver, and he didn't have a license," Andersen said. "He may have inadvertently stepped on the gas instead of the brake."

After the Mercedes stopped, Izara walked into the carwash office, Andersen said. Other employees later pointed him out to police as the driver. Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene.

Homicide and traffic investigators questioned the driver and other carwash employees about any recent arguments between Rodriguez and his workers, but no one could recall a fight.

Izara was arrested for driving without a license. A federal agent stationed in the Costa Mesa placed an immigration hold on Izara.

While investigators tried to piece together the accident, family members and carwash employees huddled around Rodriguez' wife, crying as they prayed over his body.

"He was just the nicest guy," said Elmer Martinez, 31, of Costa Mesa, who played soccer with Rodriguez. "He had tons of friends. He never had a problem with anyone."

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ho ... 671135.php

Do these illegals have a contract with the makers of SUV's? Almost every accident caused by an illegal, their driving an SUV,including the one who killed by bro and baby Something has go to give. Our citizens are being killed one by one. Does anyone up there understand the word ILLEGAL

ICE should go in and do a raid. It doesn't sound like there's too many legal workers there.

Yes indeed.

You mean having a legitimate driver's license and proving to a suitable official that a person can actually drive a vehicle safely might be important....???

I'd be Eduardo Rodriguez would have said so - but he can't, he's dead.

Well folks this prove it...if Elias Izara had a valid driver license like many politicians are advocating, this would not happen. ..............NOT!!!!