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Driver convicted in van wreck that killed 6 won’t serve jail time

Posted at 9:59 PM, Feb 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-21 22:01:22-05

CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. — The driver in a deadly van crash that killed six people, including a mother and her five year old son, won’t serve any time in jail.

Wenceslao Cruz-Marquez was initially charged with six felony counts of Involuntary Manslaughter, but plead guilty to a lesser charge, according to court documents.

The 51-year-old was sentenced to a year in prison, but all 12 months were suspended.

The Chicago man was behind the wheel of a Dodge van driving from North Carolina to New Jersey on I-95 on June 18, 2016.

Six killed in crash (SOURCE: Virginia State Police)

Six killed in crash (SOURCE: Virginia State Police)

State police said Cruz-Marquez somehow lost control of the vehicle and swerved across two lanes, slamming into another vehicle.

Investigators said the crash’s impact caused Cruz-Marquez’s van to overturn five to six times.

Six of the 16 people inside of the van, who were not wearing seat belts, did not survive

The crash had also been under investigation by federal officials because all of the victims were in the country illegally, including Cruz-Marquez.

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