A truck driver has died two weeks after a crash in which his truck went up in flames on Route 28 in Sterling, Virginia, and the driver accused of causing the crash is facing new charges, authorities say.
Cesar Yepez, 33, died as a result of the injuries he suffered in the crash on Sept. 18, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
Jose Padilla Espinoza, 18, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, aggressive driving, failing to observe traffic lanes and passing when overtaking a vehicle, the sheriff's office said.
Investigators said Padilla Espinoza was going "significantly above the speed limit" when the black Nissan Altima he was driving hit the tractor-trailer Yepez was driving from behind on the southbound lanes of Route 28, causing the truck to overturn and catch fire.
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Two bystanders who stopped to help after seeing the truck on fire were hurt while pulling Yepez out of the burning truck, authorities siad.
The Nissan also hit a Toyota Prius. The driver of the Prius was released from a hospital the day of the crash, the sheriff's office previously said.
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Espinoza was arrested Monday night and he's being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, the sheriff's office said.
He was initially charged with forging tags and driving without insurance after the crash. Authorities obtained the additional charges against him on Monday.
