A North County attorney has entered a not guilty plea in connection with her role in a crash that killed a nanny and seriously injured a toddler.
Nanny Monserrat Mendez, 41, was killed when a driver behind the wheel of an SUV ran a red light at the intersection of Camino Del Sur and Via Verrazzano on Feb. 1.
At the time of the crash, Mendez was pushing a 14-month-old toddler in a stroller. The nanny suffered critical injuries and later died at the hospital.
The toddler was hospitalized in intensive care for several days for injuries including a shattered spleen, fractured femur, pelvic fracture, broken rib, broken leg and skull fracture.
After a lengthy investigation by San Diego police, the driver of the SUV, Christine Padilla, of Del Sur, was charged with vehicular manslaughter, failure to stop at a red light and failure to yield to a pedestrian within a crosswalk.
On Friday, Padilla entered a not guilty plea. Her next trial readiness date is set for April 24. She faces up to a year in jail if convicted.
Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego