Driver of Fatal Traffic Collision Arrested

On April 20, 2016, Monterey Park Police officers arrested Cecilia Moralesdetoledo, 33, of Alhambra. Moralesdetoledo was arrested on a warrant issued by the Alhambra, Superior Court of Los Angeles County for her part in the January 7, 2016 fatal traffic collision involving her automobile and a pedestrian that occurred in the 600 Block of Hathaway Avenue, Monterey Park. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office filed felony hit & run, misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and misdemeanor unlicensed driver charges against Moralesdetoledo. The arrest took place at her residence without incident. She is currently being held at the Monterey Park Police Department. Her bail has been set at $50,000 dollars.

Monterey Park PD Special Traffic Enforcement Campaign Targeting Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

The Monterey Park Police Department will conduct Bike and Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operations on May 11 and 18, 2016 with focused enforcement on collision causing factors involving motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.

The department has mapped out locations over the past three years where pedestrian and bike collisions have occurred along with the violations that led to those crashes. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas where bike and pedestrian traffic and crashes occur in an effort to lower deaths and injuries.

Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers, bike riders and pedestrians alike that can lead to life changing injuries. Special attention will be directed toward drivers speeding, making illegal turns, failing to stop for signs and signals, failing to yield to pedestrians in cross walks or any other dangerous violation.

Additionally, enforcement will be taken for observed violations when pedestrians cross the street illegally or fail to yield to drivers who have the right of way. Bike riders will be stopped and citations issued when they fail to follow the same traffic laws that apply to motorists. All riders are reminded to always wear a helmet – those under 18 years of age must wear helmets by law. Pedestrians should cross the street only in marked crosswalks or at corners.

Bicycle and pedestrian fatalities are rising in California as more people use these non-motorized means of transportation. Locally, the Monterey Park Police Department has investigated six fatal and 167 injury collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists during the past three years. In 2013, California witnessed 701 pedestrians and 141 bicyclists killed, accounting for more than 28 percent of all traffic fatalities.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.