Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Noel woman charged in connection with hit-and-run accident that killed Marine veteran


The McDonald County Prosecuting Attorney's office filed a felony leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death charge today against Gloria Trejo, 53, Noel.

Trejo admitted to a Noel police officer that she was behind the wheel November 2 near the intersection of S. Kings Highway and Hall Ridge Road when she struck Michael Lynn Pruden, 59, according to the probable cause statement.

Pruden, who was a a U. S. Marines veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, was pronounced dead at the scene.







From the probable cause statement:

On 11/19/2024 after further investigation and statements regarding the incident and locating a serial number on a piece of lens that was collected as evidence, I learned that the suspect vehicle was a maroon 1992 Ford F-150 which belonged to Trejo. 

When speaking with Trejo on 11/19/2024 she stated that while she was driving “all of the sudden there was something in the middle of the road, so I swerved and I barely hit at first I thought it was a deer but it didn’t seem right. So I turned back to make sure and that’s when I saw it was a person. I got scared so I left.” Trejo made a written statement as to what occurred.

Bond has been set at $2,000.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

A person who committed a hit and run fatality gets a bond of only 2000.00? Wow-a life isn't worth much, I guess.

Anonymous said...

Bond is not a fine

Anonymous said...

Must be related to the Joseph’s,

Anonymous said...

Bond is not punishment!

Anonymous said...

Obviously she shouldn't of left the scene but I can understand how she would of been scared. Nobody knows how they would react if they were in that situation. He also shouldn't of been in the middle of the road. It's not like she jumped a curb and went onto the sidewalk and hit him. So her bond seems fair to me.

Anonymous said...

11:50AM, I know how I would have reacted if I had hit someone, I would have called the Police / Ambulance. Just as many honest people would do. The key in life is do the right thing, don't run from the truth or lie or hide from it - Do the Right Thing.

Anonymous said...

8:34 perfectly said, we don’t rely on others to hold us accountable we do it our self, however I believe we are a dying bread, to many prideful people, that can never admit fault. The truth will set you free folks

Anonymous said...

What does being a Marine veteran have to do with anything? It doesnt make his life any more valuable than anyone else's.