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(Photo by Matthew Keys for Solano NewsNet)
Prosecutors in Solano County have added several new charges in the case of a man who is accused of fatally striking a CalTrans worker with his car earlier this month.
Taje Holliman, 31, entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment last week, a common plea for criminal suspects at the start of their cases.
Police arrested Holliman in front of a business in Fairfield on June 3 after he allegedly drove his Mazda sedan into 51-year-old California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) landscaper Quanda McGadney on Interstate 80 near Vacaville.
In addition to hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter charges, prosecutors allege Holliman was in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which are prohibited for people like Holliman who have prior felony convictions.
Prosecutors also say Holliman was discovered with methamphetamine at the time of his careers and was an unlicensed driver.
Shortly after his arrest, Solano NewsNet reported Holliman was wanted in Sacramento County for allegedly assaulting an officer hours before the fatal crash. It was not clear if any of the charges brought in Solano County related to that incident, or if prosecutors in Sacramento County would charge him separately.
Holliman is expected to be back in court on June 20 for a preliminary hearing.
McGadney left behind a 9-year-old daughter and two sisters. She was the first CalTrans worker to die in the line of duty in six years, and the 190th since the transit agency began collecting statistics in 1921.
“The loss of one of our own public servants in this tragic incident is being felt heavily within the Caltrans family today. Our thoughts and heartfelt support are focused on her family, friends and colleagues at this time,” Steven Keck, the acting director of CalTrans, said in a statement.
The fatality occurred during a “maximum enforcement” period carried out by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The CHP said the maximum enforcement campaign was intended to prevent fatal crashes and other incidents on area freeways.
