Driver Convicted in Fatal Crash Walks Free After Sentencing
A Hattieville truck driver found guilty by a jury of causing a fatal 2023 highway crash will not serve any additional prison time. High Court Justice Derick Sylvester cited the hardship a jail sentence would cause the man’s young children, including a disabled five-year-old daughter, in handing down the ruling.
Marvin Cal, 29, had pleaded not guilty to causing the death of Oscar Rodas and took his case to trial instead of accepting a plea deal. The jury found him guilty regardless.
The crash unfolded on June 12, 2023, on the Hattieville-Burrell Boom Road when Cal’s white Ford Ranger pulled out from behind a bus to overtake it. The truck hit loose gravel and spun out of control before slamming into another vehicle and tangling with a trailer it was towing. Cal became trapped behind the steering wheel after the dashboard crushed into his lap, and firefighters had to cut him free with hydraulic tools.
Investigators found nothing suggesting he posed a danger to others or was likely to reoffend. The report also flagged that Cal’s employer provides his family’s housing, raising the possibility that a long prison term could leave his children without a roof over their heads as well as without their father.
When it came time to sentence Cal, Justice Sylvester started from the standard six-month benchmark for this type of offence. He brought that down to four months after weighing two factors: Cal and Rodas had been close coworkers travelling together when the crash happened, and Cal himself had been hospitalised with injuries from the collision. Because Cal never pleaded guilty, none of the usual plea discounts applied. Counting the 47 days Cal had already spent behind bars, the judge determined that was enough and ordered his release. He also declined to suspend Cal’s driver’s licence, pointing out that his livelihood depends on being able to drive.
As part of the sentence, Cal must pay Rosa Reyes five thousand dollars in compensation through monthly instalments of three hundred dollars, beginning in July. Missing a single payment triggers the full amount immediately, along with a six-month prison sentence.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
