‘This has been happening too much’: Family of man killed in Highway 285 semi-truck crash speaks out

The driver of the semi-truck was charged with one count of careless driving resulting in death and three counts of careless driving resulting in injury.

Correction: The driver of the semi-truck was charged with careless driving resulting in death and careless driving resulting in injury. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the driver was charged with vehicular homicide.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The family of a man killed in a crash on Highway 285 near Conifer a week ago is speaking out for the first time.

The crash happened around 5 p.m. on June 11 on Highway 285 at milepost 232, south of Conifer. Colorado State Patrol (CSP) troopers said Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza was driving a semi-truck southbound on US 285 when he allegedly drove off the edge of the road, causing the semi to roll onto its side and dump its load of pipes and angle iron onto five vehicles.

Loved ones said Scott Miller, 64, was on his way home from the grocery store, less than 6 miles away from his house, when his vehicle was struck by the load. He was killed in the crash.

“We had just talked. I had just talked to him probably 10 minutes on the phone before he died,” said Miller’s wife, DeAnn Miller. “And then I got stuck in the traffic, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, another accident.’ And how ironic, I got a detour home, and it was my husband that was in that accident.”

Cruz-Mendoza was arrested for suspicion of vehicular assault and vehicular homicide. During a court appearance on Tuesday, he was charged with one count of careless driving resulting in death and three counts of careless driving resulting in injury.

On Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials told Denver7 Investigates Cruz-Mendoza was in the U.S. illegally and had been ordered to be removed to Mexico. The agency had been aware of Cruz-Mendoza since an arrest in Jefferson County, Oregon, in April 2002. Since then, an ICE spokesperson said Cruz-Mendoza had faced multiple removals and returned to Mexico at least 16 times.