Probation for man who sped down a hill near Prior Lake and killed other driver in head-on crash

A man who sped down a hill near Prior Lake while pulling a trailer, then lost control and caused a head-on crash that killed another motorist late last winter has received probation.

Arturo Garcia Rivera, 41, was sentenced Tuesday afternoon in Scott County District Court after pleading guilty to criminal vehicular operation by gross negligence in connection with the crash on March 2 that killed Megan Rae Taylor, 50, of Lonsdale, Minn.

Along with putting Garcia Rivera on supervised probation for two years, Judge Charles Webber ordered him to pay nearly $3,200 in restitution.

Garcia Rivera made what is known as an Alford plea, meaning he maintained his innocence but acknowledged there was ample evidence to convict him.

Court records show that Garcia Rivera also has been convicted once each for driving while using his cellphone, careless driving and going 66 miles per hour in a 55 zone.

According to the criminal complaint and the Scott County Sheriff’s Office:

A State Patrol investigation determined that Garcia Rivera was traveling downhill at more than 75 mph in a 55 zone on southbound Panama Avenue south of E. 190th Street before hitting Taylor’s SUV head-on.

Along with the excessive speed, the investigation revealed the trailer’s brakes were not working, because its wiring was not attached properly.

“This would prevent the trailer brakes from working as designed,” the complaint read. “This would make it harder to stop the trailer coming down a hill. This contributed to the trailer leaving the roadway and ultimately causing [the collision].”

State business records showed that Garcia Rivera owned a roofing company based in Burnsville at the time of the crash.

An 11-year-old who was not wearing a seat belt was thrown from the pickup and was hospitalized with noncritical injuries.