Man Who Fled Fatal Crash Sentenced

A motorist who fled from a crash that killed his three passengers in Little Tujunga Canyon two years ago was sentenced Tuesday to 45 years to life in prison.

Aaron Miron, 52, of Pacoima was convicted last month of three counts of second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter and one count of felony drunk driving. He must serve at least 80% of his prison sentence before he is eligible for parole, Deputy Dist. Atty. Ryann Gerber said.

Miron was driving at night in August 1998 when he drifted off the road in Angeles National Forest. His car fell about 10 feet into a drainage culvert, killing his girlfriend, 51-year-old Maria Martinez of Sun Valley, and a Pacoima couple, Felix, 43, and Maria Alvarez, 41, authorities said.

Miron walked away from the scene but initially didn’t tell anyone of the accident, police said. He was picked up by two passing motorists, and Miron told them that he had been carjacked and beaten. He was taken to a hospital while the motorists told authorities about him.

He gave varying stories to police investigators before confessing that he was the driver of the abandoned car, Gerber said. He was arrested when he was released from the hospital.

“What he did that night and to the victims’ families was a callous act,� Gerber said. “This was about him and no one else.�

Miron had two prior drunk-driving convictions, in 1996 and 1998, and was driving with a suspended license, prosecutors said.