FAIRVIEW TWP — Sixteen months after a Clarion County woman died when a tractor-trailer rammed into the car she was riding in, state police charged the Illinois trucker blamed for the crash.

Investigators allege Jose D. Lopez-Pinedo, 31, of Aurora was driving the rig with faulty brakes on Oct. 10, 2012, when he ran a flashing red light and stop signs at a well-traveled intersection in Fairview Township,

Gerri L. Best, 28, of Rimersburg, a front-seat passenger, was killed. The driver and an infant in the car were injured.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton issued an arrest warrant for Lopez-Pinedo after police this week charged him with vehicular homicide and aggravated assault by vehicle, both felonies.

He also faces misdemeanor charges of involuntary manslaughter and three counts of reckless endangerment, and nine summary traffic violations.

The case was filed following completion of the accident reconstruction investigation and after discussions with the Butler County District Attorney’s Office, authorities said.

Police said Lopez-Pinedo was southbound on Route 268 about 1:35 p.m. when he traveled through a flashing red signal and a pair of stop signs at the intersection with Route 68 near the Armstrong County line.

The front of the truck slammed into the passenger side of the Pontiac Grand Prix that Brian D. Altman Jr., 22, of Rimersburg was driving west on Route 68.

Best, who was trapped in the car, died at the scene of massive head and neck injuries, according to the Butler County coroner’s office.

Altman suffered minor injuries. He was treated at Butler Memorial Hospital.

Altman’s then 3-year-old son was seriously injured. A medical helicopter flew the boy to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment.

Lopez-Pinedo was not injured.

A witness told police that he was having lunch at a restaurant when he saw the truck traveling “at a substantial speed” hit the car, according to court documents.

The witness said “it appeared to him that (the truck) never stopped at the stop signs,” police said.

Troopers later spoke to Altman at the hospital. He said he approached the intersection traveling 35 to 40 mph and the truck did not stop.

Lopez-Pinedo told police that he had just picked up a load in Karns City and was headed to Chattanooga, Tenn. He claimed he slowed down and looked both ways before traveling into the intersection.

Trooper John Krajnikovich, the investigating officer, said he specifically asked Lopez-Pinedo if he came to a complete stop at the intersection.

“Lopez-Pinedo openly admitted that he didn’t,” Krajnikovich said in court papers.

The trucker recounted that after entering the intersection, he saw a car coming and hit his brakes.