Trucker in fatal crash awaits prosecutors' decision on retrial

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- A prosecutor said today that a decision hasn't been made on whether to retry a commercial driver whose runaway dump truck smashed into another vehicle, killing its driver.

Adam Ahlberg made his first court appearance today since a jury acquitted him of a felony and deadlocked on a misdemeanor for the June 16, 2006 death of Angel Calzada in Rancho Cucamonga.

A mistrial was declared after the jury failed to reach a verdict on the misdemeanor, and prosecutors have the option of retrying Ahlberg, 30, for vehicular manslaughter.

"We don't know if there's going to be a retrial on the Ahlberg case yet," said Ahlberg's prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Charles Feibush.

Feibush said Ahlberg was ordered at today's hearing to return to West Valley Superior Court on July 7 for a pre-trial hearing.

Ahlberg's former employer, Clark Grading Inc., also faces criminal charges and has a court hearing that day, Feibush said.

Asked why a decision hasn't been made yet on a retrial, Feibush said, "We're looking at all possibilities, and these things take time."

Calzada, a Rancho Cucamonga city employee, was pronounced dead at the scene after Ahlberg's truck collided with his Ford F-250 at Archibald Avenue and Arrow Route.

Ahlberg's brakes failed at the northern end of Archibald, and he reached speeds of up to 70 mph as he traveled south on the street's downhill slope.

He blew through several stop signs and red lights before colliding with Calzada's truck.

Prosecutors allege Ahlberg and Clark Grading knew the truck had faulty brakes and failed to properly repair them.