Man accused of manslaughter in fatal I-70 crash gets additional charge after indictment
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A man who was charged with manslaughter in the deaths of two women in an Aug. 6 crash on Interstate 70 in Columbia received an additional charge following a grand jury indictment on Friday.
Walter Montejo, 26, is now charged with two counts of first-degree manslaughter, one count of second-degree assault and two misdemeanors: Driving while revoked and operating a motor vehicle owned by another without insurance. An arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday.
Montejo was previously charged with two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, one count of second-degree assault and misdemeanor driving while revoked.
Montejo is accused of killing Cindy Helms, 54, of Rockwood, Tennessee, and Melvina Colin, 84, of Broomfield, Colorado. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.
Montejo is an immigrant from El Salvador and does not speak English, requiring interpreters at his court hearings. Previous court filings list his address as South Gate, California, and say that he was in the U.S. on a work visa. Jail records list his address as Marshall, Missouri.
According to the probable cause statement, Montejo's vehicle was heading westbound in the passing lane and Montejo failed to maintain a lane and initially hit a BMW, which went off the right side of the road.
Montejo’s vehicle then made a quick movement, went through the concrete barrier and hit a 2017 Toyota Highlander and a 2022 Ram 1500, the statement says. The Ram became airborne and overturned when it landed, the statement says. The tractor-trailer then hit a 2021 Ford Explorer because colliding with the U-Haul, the statement says.
A witness allegedly told police that they were driving behind the tractor-trailer and BMW and that the freightliner was in the passing lane, the statement says. Montejo allegedly turned on his right turn signal and hit the BMW while trying to get in the driving lane before overcorrecting, court documents say.
