Coachella woman pleads not guilty to manslaughter in fatal crash case

A Coachella woman who allegedly ran a red light at high speed, slamming into another driver’s car and killing him, pleaded not guilty to a felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence today.

Clarisa Marmolejo, 22, of Coachella, is accused in the Oct. 17, 2017 death of Gilberto Cardenas, 64, who died at the scene of the late afternoon crash at the intersection of Avenue 50 and Van Buren Street.

Marmolejo, who prosecutors allege was driving 94 mph in a 45 mph zone, suffered minor injuries in the crash and was hospitalized.

Investigators said she was heading west on Avenue 50 “in a negligent manner” in a 2013 Nissan Altima and crashed into Cardenas’ car at 73 mph, according to an arrest warrant declaration. Speed information on Marmolejo’s car was obtained through her car’s airbag control module, the declaration states.

Marmolejo, who remains free on $35,000 bail, has a previous 2015 conviction for speeding, in which she was ordered to pay a fine of $900 for driving in excess of 100 mph.

Prosecutors charged her in February in connection with Cardenas’ death. She’s scheduled to return to court May 15 for a felony settlement conference.