Othello man pleads not guilty to vehicular homicide charges
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
An Othello man has pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide in connection with a collision April 26 on Bench Road south of Othello.
FILE PHOTO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | May 4, 2026 12:45 PM
RITZVILLE — An Othello man has pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide in connection with a collision that killed three 15-year-old girls last week.
Presiliano Perez-Pineda, 19, entered a not guilty plea at an Adams County Superior Court Monday morning. He is being held on $1 million bail.
The trial was set for June 16, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for June 8.
Perez-Pineda also was charged with leaving the scene of a collision. The charges stem from the collision about noon April 26 on West Bench Road about one mile south of Othello.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Perez-Pineda allegedly ran into the back of a truck, a Chevy Silverado, driven by one of the girls. The driver of the truck allegedly lost control; the truck rolled and came to rest in an irrigation canal, the affidavit said. The three girls were ejected, according to a release from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
Video footage reviewed by ACSO deputies showed a white sedan, subsequently identified as a Mercedes connected to Perez-Pineda, on the scene at the same time as the collision, according to the affidavit.
“The sedan did not appear to make an attempt to stop,” according to the affidavit. “Additionally (the deputy) did not see any traffic traveling westbound toward the Silverado or Mercedes.”
The three girls were students at Othello High School. Othello schools will close early Friday for a memorial service for the three girls, said Othello Superintendent Pete Perez.
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