LAKE HAVASU CITY – A manslaughter trial involving the traffic-related deaths of two people in Lake Havasu City has ended with a hung jury. The Mohave County Superior Court jury deliberated more than five hours over two days before informing Judge Derek Carlisle early Thursday afternoon that it was unable to reach verdicts in the case against Alexander Perreira.
The 27-year-old defendant is charged with criminal damage and two counts of manslaughter stemming from the deaths of two friends in April, 2023. The victims, Mason Coon, 22, Lake Havasu, and Cynthia Bedford, 22, California were passengers in a 2017 passenger vehicle drive by Perreira.
There was no dispute that the Perreira was southbound on highway 95 when his vehicle struck the back end of a 25-ft.-long gooseneck trailer towed by a heavy-duty pickup truck.
Prosecutor Amanda Claerhout said the pickup was struggling up an incline near the Western Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy and had slowed to about 14 miles an hour as the Perreira vehicle approached from behind. The said there was no shoulder on the highway and that the other driver pulled the truck and trailer assembly into the middle turn lane when it was struck from behind.
Claerhout said Perreira was speeding and had used his cellphone to send an image through Facebook right before the crash, establishing the recklessness required for conviction. Defense attorney Virginia Crews challenged the cell phone allegation and suggested to the jury that case circumstances warranted acquittal for the deadly crash she said was accidental and not criminal.
Attorneys are free to attempt to resolve the case by plea agreement. Otherwise, a second trial has been scheduled to begin on March 24.
Dave Hawkins
