Illegal immigrant charged in Gwinnett teen's crash death

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By David Ibata

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

An illegal immigrant has been charged with vehicular homicide for allegedly causing the death of a Gwinnett County teen in a high-speed crash, Channel 2 Action News reports.

Gwinnett County Detention Center Jhony Velasquez Castillo's name was reported as Jhony C. Velasquez at the time of the March 30 accident.

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Jhony Velasquez Castillo – whose name was reported as Jhony C. Velasquez at the time of the March 30 accident-- was speeding north on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in his 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee when the accident happened, police told Channel 2.

A 2006 Chrysler 300 coming in the opposite direction turned left into the path of Castillo’s vehicle at 1st Avenue in unincorporated Buford. The Jeep slammed into passenger side of the Chrysler and pushed the car into two other vehicles stopped at a stop sign on 1st.

A 15-year-old passenger of the Chrysler, Johnathan Campbell of Buford, was killed. He was a freshman at Lanier High School. The car’s driver, Johnathan’s 17-year-old sister Rebecca, and Castillo were taken to Gwinnett Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Police say Johnathan could have lived had Castillo not been going so fast, Channel 2 reported.

A three-month investigation showed Castillo “was driving between 75 and 85 miles an hour in a 45 miles-per-hour zone,” Gwinnett police Cpl. Ed Ritter told Channel 2.

Castillo, 34, was charged with driving without a valid driver’s license and was held because of his immigration status. He remains in custody without bond on the latest charges of first-degree vehicular homicide, reckless driving and speeding.