Grieving Father Questions Police Chase After Crash Kills Daughter, Gravely Injures Sister
ANTIOCH (KPIX) -- An East Bay father struggling to make sense of a crash that killed his four-year-old daughter and gravely injured her two-year-old sister is questioning whether deputies could have prevented the crash in the first place.
Antioch resident Jesus Cordoza's world fell apart Wednesday when a Pittsburg man, accused of driving a stolen truck, plowed into them coming off a Highway 4 off-ramp.
The horrific T-bone collision also severely injured his wife.
"We're not great," said Cordoza. "It's devastating."
He hasn't slept or had any food since getting the phone call from deputies.
Cordoza said his wife, Edith was driving the two girls home from a doctor's appointment Wednesday afternoon the driver of a stolen Ford F-250 pickup truck plowed into their vehicle.
Contra Costa County sheriff's deputies had been following the stolen truck on Highway 4 in Antioch, but did not activate the emergency lights.
A spokesman said the deputies decided to turn on the emergency lights after the suspect exited the freeway for safety reasons.
They say that was when the suspect sped up, ran a red light and collided with the family.
Cordoza believes the deputies could have done something differently to prevent this collision.
"It was a police pursuit and he didn't just take off on the ramp. At that speed, he wouldn't have done the damage that he did," said Cordoza. " He was already being chased."
Deputies identified the suspect as 23-year-old Noe Saucedo of Pittsburg. But right now his focus is on his two-year-old.
"She's on life support, can't breathe on her own yet," said Cordoza. "The doctors said they're only going to give her two days."
As for his wife, she's in fair condition after surgery Thursday morning.