Millbrae man pleads not guilty in fatal Burlingame hit and run

SAN MATEO COUNTY – A Millbrae man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of felony vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run for allegedly striking a woman in March as she crossed the street in Burlingame, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

Joel Ordanes Gilongos, 52, faces the charges for allegedly hitting and killing Arlene Ocampo, 61, as he sped through a red light while running late to work.

If found guilty, Gilongos could face a sentence of more than ten years in prison, said San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe.

“He was going to be late to work, so he’s speeding to save a few minutes so maybe he can get to work,” Wagstaffe said. “Because of it, a family loses their loved one forever. It’s a tragedy.”

Around 6 a.m. on March 11, Gilongos was allegedly driving a red Mustang on El Camino Real in Burlingame in a southbound direction on his way to work in San Mateo. Prosecutors allege that he was speeding and making unsafe lane changes.

Ocampo was crossing El Camino Real at Trousdale Drive in a crosswalk when Gilongos allegedly ran a red light and struck her, launching her into the air and over his car, prosecutors said. Gilongos then drove away.

“It wasn’t like the red light had just changed, either,” Wagstaffe said. “It was, as they say, solid red.”

Ocampo died at the scene of the collision, prosecutors said. Police arrested Gilongos at his workplace.

The DA’s office is also alleging that Gilongos was aware of what had happened when he drove away.

“What our witnesses say is that once she was struck, she went right over the hood of the car, past the windshield and over the top of the car. It wasn’t like it careened off to the side from hitting the front bumper,” Wagstaffe added. “It was a straight on hit.”

Several video cameras and witnesses saw the fatal crash, prosecutors added, and the front of Gilongos’s Mustang had “major” damage.

“I look at this one and just think, sad, sad, sad,” Wagstaffe said.

[related_articles location=”left” show_article_date=”false” article_type=”automatic-primary-tag

The collision happened before the change to daylight savings time, meaning it was likely still pretty dark outside at 6 a.m., Wagstaffe said.

Wagstaffe added that Gilongos does not have a criminal record and that there is no evidence that drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.

Gilongos’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gilongos is out of custody on $100,000 bail, the DA’s office said. He will next appear in court May 22 for a preliminary hearing.