Local hit-and-run driver gets slap on the wrist
Michael Bruce Slusser, the person accused of driving the truck that hit local cyclists Tim Moreno and Steve Stearns, has received a slap on the wrist.
Although Slusser pled “no contest” to the felony hit-and-run charges, prosecutors cut a deal with him that includes three years of probation and an undetermined reimbursement to the victims. The trial record is on-line here.
Moreno and Stearns were cycling on Apple Valley Road when Slusser’s truck swerved into the bike lane, its mirror hitting Moreno from behind. Moreno then collided with Stearns. While Stearns escaped with “only” road rash, Moreno had to be taken to Loma Linda Hospital.
While there is no doubt that Slusser’s truck was involved in the accident, the speculation is that there was not enough evidence to establish positively that Slusser was the one behind the wheel, or that he was drunk at the time of the accident.