Quechan Woman Pleads Guilty to Assault, Injuring Passengers in 2009 Yuma Crash
Defendant Drove an SUV off the Road, Falling 25 Yards near Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge on Arizona-California Border

PHOENIX—Sophia R. Perez, 25, of Yuma, Arizona, who is a member of the Quechan Indian Tribe on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, pleaded guilty on July 22 in federal court to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Perez was speeding and failed to navigate a curve in an SUV, driving off the road and plummeting more than 25 yards down to train tracks beneath the Ocean-to-Ocean bridge, injuring her four passengers. Her SUV flipped over and landed on its roof. Perez’s blood alcohol concentration at the time was .203 and her Arizona driver’s license had been suspended.

One victim passenger’s leg was partially pinned underneath her vehicle, requiring a prolonged extrication, and he underwent surgery for his injuries, including a laceration from the back of his head to the right side of his ear. Two other victim passengers were ejected in the crash and received broken bones, lacerations, bumps to their heads, bruising, and scratches. The fourth passenger, who remained in the vehicle, sustained head injuries and a laceration to his stomach.

A conviction for assault with serious bodily injury carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton will sentence Perez on November 7, 2011.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, the Quechan Tribal Police Department, the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, the Yuma City Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of the Interior, and the Union Pacific Railroad Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Jennifer E. Green and Brian E. Kasprzyk, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER: CR 11-00427-PHX-SRB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2011-157(Perez)