Driver in fatal crash had similar accident

The driver of a truck that plowed through a Des Moines backyard Monday and killed a 6-year-old boy had previously suffered a seizure in the same vehicle — resulting in a similar accident that cost him his license.

Guadalupe Villa-Guzman, 44, of Des Moines is being held in the Polk County Jail, where he was transferred Tuesday afternoon from Broadlawns Medical Center. He was transported to Broadlawns after crashing his truck Monday afternoon and killing 6-year old Irving Aguilar-Gonzales.

Villa-Guzman faces charges of vehicular homicide, serious injury by vehicle and driving while license suspended.

Irving was playing on a trampoline with his neighbor, 4-year-old Javier Falcon, when Villa-Guzman's pickup truck left Hickman Road after colliding with an SUV. It barreled through the boy's backyard, killing Irving.

Police pulled Villa-Guzman from the driver's seat, where he was buckled in, and detained him in a squad car. Irving's body was found beneath the vehicle.

It's still unclear what caused Villa-Guzman to lose control.

The accident report shows he took a urine test, but those results have not been released. Sgt. Jason Halifax of Des Moines police confirmed Tuesday that a Breathalyzer test indicated Villa-Guzman did not have alcohol in his system.

Though Villa-Guzman wasn't injured in the crash, he was taken to Broadlawns for an issue that was "not a result of this collision," police said without elaborating.

On Oct. 10, 2012, Villa-Guzman was involved in another car crash that resembled Monday's fatality: He was driving the same truck eastbound, in the 600 block of Hickman Road, when he lost control. The pickup went over a curb and hit a sign post.

Police found Villa-Guzman with his foot pressed on the accelerator, causing the rear left-side tire to spin until it disintegrated. He was taken to Broadlawns Medical Center, and his vehicle was impounded.

In Iowa, drivers who have a seizure, a blackout or any other sudden loss of consciousness have their license suspended until a doctor certifies they've gone six months without a repeat episode, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Kim Snook, director of driver services for the DOT, said her records indicate Villa-Guzman never showed up for his departmental re-exam in November 2012. He would have been required to bring a completed medical examination form and undergo driver's tests before being allowed back behind the wheel.

"This was a very sad day for everyone," Snook said. "Gosh, I wish he had come in."

As a result of that accident, Villa-Guzman carried two suspensions on his license — one for lack of insurance and the second for the seizure.

Now, after Monday's accident, Villa-Guzman faces charges that carry far more serious penalties of up to 10-plus years in prison.

"He doesn't meet the definition of reckless if he had a seizure," Halifax said. "Clearly, you can't control that. But if he's aware of that and can't control it and continued to drive, then it's reckless."