Truck driver faces life for a road-rage crash. The victim is his brother

A victim in a 2018 road-rage crash is charged with encouraging a witness to change what he told police.

Rafael Garza Pruneda asked the Connell farmer to alter his statement after explaining that it was his brother behind the wheel that day.

His brother could face a life sentence in prison if convicted of aggressive driving.

The 38-year-old Warden man said his relatives now hate him for getting the police involved in a family fight. Pruneda is the victim of his brother’s alleged road rage.

Pruneda explained that he had gone to great lengths to track down the farmer who saw the crash, even questioning several other farmers in the area on how to find him, according to court documents.

He pleaded with the farmer to help him, so they could “get their stories straight,” that way it wouldn’t look so bad for Felipe Pruneda Jr. at his trial, documents said.

Now, both brothers have felony cases in Franklin County Superior Court stemming from the crash near Connell and their alleged attempts to tamper with a witness.

Driver locked up on $150,000

Rafael Pruneda was charged earlier this month with felony witness tampering and conspiracy, a gross misdemeanor.

He is out of jail on $5,000 bail and is scheduled to enter a plea in mid-August.

Felipe Pruneda, 43, is locked up on $150,000 bail with five charges: first- and second-degree assault with domestic violence; bail jumping; witness tampering and conspiracy.

His trial is Aug. 28.

Prosecutors have said that if Felipe Pruneda is convicted, they will seek a sentence of life without the possibility of parole under the Persistent Offender Accountability Act because he has two prior convictions for serious crimes.

Fight over one brother’s girlfriend

It all started 17 months ago when the brothers were fighting over Rafael Pruneda’s girlfriend.

Shortly after 7 a.m. on Feb. 12, 2018, Rafael believed his girlfriend was in the cab of his brother’s 2004 Peterbilt semi.

He caught up to the truck on Highway 395, intending to catch them red-handed, court documents said.

Rafael took the Connell exit in his 2005 Hyundai, and Felipe followed in the semi.

Rafael parked at the off-ramp stop sign and got out of his car to approach the truck, but Felipe allegedly hit the Hyundai’s rear bumper and kept driving.

The semi, which now had a flat front tire, turned right onto Highway 260. Rafael followed, passing the truck and turning at the first intersection, knowing his brother would have to stop and change the tire.

Rafael told a sheriff’s deputy he was standing next to his car on Blanton Road when he noticed Felipe steer the semi in his direction and hit the gas, documents said. He jumped back in the Hyundai but couldn’t start the car.

That’s when the truck hit the car, court documents said.

Witness was riding tractor nearby

Rafael ran to the truck and found his girlfriend inside, documents said.

She said she had been asleep in the back of the cab and awoke to her boyfriend cursing at her as he grabbed Felipe’s truck keys.

Felipe later told a deputy he had picked up his brother’s girlfriend the night before because she is the victim of abuse, and blamed his brother for spreading lies about him that ruined his marriage, according to court documents.

The farmer, who was riding his tractor about 100 yards south of the intersection, corroborated Rafael’s account.

The man told deputies it looked like the semi intentionally hit the car, and that the drivers were yelling and arguing with each other, documents said.

Admits losing control with brother

Felipe was arrested and taken to the Franklin County jail.

He initially denied knowing who was in the Hyundai and said the car had slammed on its brakes, causing them to collide.

Eventually, Felipe allegedly admitted losing control and letting “his anger and emotion (get) the best of him.”

Last month, he got word that prosecutors would be asking a judge to give him a life sentence.

‘Have to change the story’

Two weeks later, deputies were called to the home of the farmer who was a witness.

The man, later identified as Rafael Pruneda, asked him several questions about the accident and the farmer finally recognized him and remembered Pruneda had told him to call for help that day.

Pruneda told the farmer that his brother was facing a lengthy prison term and wanted him to change his statement, repeating, “We have to change the story so it doesn’t look so bad.”

The farmer told deputies he’s concerned the Pruneda family will track down his address and phone number if he sticks to his statement, documents said.

Both Rafael and Felipe Pruneda have been ordered to have no contact with the man while their cases are pending.

This story was originally published July 30, 2019 at 7:36 PM.