Hit-run suspect pleads no contest in Caltrans death
The 31-year-old driver accused of the June 3 hitand-run death of a Caltrans worker near Vacaville has pleaded no contest to all charges and will face sentencing in the coming weeks in Solano County Superior Court.
Taje Jakkar Holliman waived his rights June 21, the day he was previously scheduled for a preliminary hearing in the case in Department 9, and entered the no-contest plea to eight counts cited in the Solano County District Attorney's criminal complaint.
By entering the plea, Holliman did not admit guilt but essentially stated he would offer no defense, and Judge Carlos R. Gutierrez immediately found him guilty.
A San Francisco resident, Holliman, represented by Deputy Public Defender Sara Johnson at the latest proceeding, pleaded to the hit-and-run death of Quanda McGadney, 51, of Fairfield; being a felon in possession of a firearm; possession of ammunition; driving under the influence of a drug causing injury; vehicular manslaughter; possession of heroin, a controlled substance; possession of methamphetamine, also a controlled substance; and being an unlicensed driver.
Court records also show that Holliman was convicted of first-degree murder July 13, 2011, in juvenile court in Sacramento.
Deputy District Attorney Christine De Leo represented the Solano County DA's Office during the June 21 proceeding.
In a press statement, Caltrans Acting Director Steven Keck said McGadney was the first Caltrans District 4 (Bay Area) employee to die on the job since 2017. She was the 37th in the history of District 4 and the 190th Caltrans worker to lose their life on the job since 1921.
“This tragedy is particularly painful, coming so close to our workers memorial service just a little over a month ago, and drives home how dangerous our work on California's roadways can be,” Keck said. “Our focus (is) on safety and the `Move Over' law, and (we are) asking the public to increase their awareness of the people working on the highways on their behalf are part of our continued effort” to stop such tragedies.
A memorial fund is being established through the California Transportation Foundation.
Just after 10 a.m., the California Highway Patrol responded to a report of a hit-and-run crash on westbound Interstate 80 west of Lagoon Valley Road.
Officers found McGadney on the freeway shoulder. She died at the scene.
Investigators soon determined that the driver of a white Mazda 3 had struck the pedestrian before fleeing the scene. The suspect was soon arrested in Fairfield
by a CHP officer with the assistance of a Fairfield police officer, CHP officials said.
Holliman, who stands 6 feet 5 inches and weighs more than 225 pounds, was booked afterward into Solano County Jail, where he remains, with bail set at $120,000.
The crash was investigated by the CHP Solano Area office and Golden Gate Division's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team.
The Solano County District Attorney's Office filed its complaint against Holliman on June 7.