Warden woman accused of 2018 vehicular homicide

A Warden woman appeared in Grant County Superior Court last week for allegedly killing another woman with her car in 2018.

Carmen Ortega Camacho, 51, was charged Nov. 16 with vehicular homicide (alternative-DUI/reckless/disregard), after she allegedly failed to stop her car at the Nelson Road and Road L intersection at around 6 a.m. Oct. 1. 2018, and struck a car driven by Rosa E. Zepeda, of Othello, who was 41 when she died en route to the hospital.

Her first court appearance was Jan. 25, where her arraignment was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8.

Ortega Camacho was driving her white 2013 Chevrolet Cruz east on Nelson Road, when she allegedly failed to stop at the stop sign at Road L and struck Zepeda’s silver 2001 Dodge Neon, traveling north, at a right angle, court records stated.

The impact caused the Neon’s driver’s side door and B pillar to push inward to Zepeda. Her car turned clockwise and slid down a ditch and north into a field about 147 feet from impact, records stated.

Zepeda was extricated by firefighters and flown from the scene. However, she died in the flight and it returned to Moses Lake.

Ortega Camacho had bumps and bruises and her family took her to Samaritan Hospital.

Drugs and alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the collision, records stated. When police questioned Ortega Camacho later about the collision, she said she couldn’t remember whether she had stopped, what road she was on or where the collision occurred, and only remembered the cars colliding.

After her first court appearance, Ortega Camacho was allowed to remain out of jail on conditions, including staying at her home in Warden, maintaining weekly contact with her attorney, not leaving the state without permission from the court, and not consuming alcohol or drugs. Emily Thornton can be reached via email at [email protected].