ATHLETE FACES MANSLAUGHTER ARRAIGNMENT.

Byline: Stacy Brown Daily News Staff Writer

A College of the Canyons football player was charged Tuesday with vehicular manslaughter in the death last month of a 9-year-old girl running with her track club.

Joshua Caine, 20, of Newhall will be arraigned next month on the misdemeanor charge, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail.

Caine, adjusting an ice pack on an injured leg Aug. 30, lost control of his pickup truck, which hit Sandra Pearce of Valencia, investigators said. The girl died the following day.

Deputy District Attorney Sue Lassicker said the charge was filed after a careful review of state law. Under the law, a person who commits an illegal act that causes a death faces a charge of manslaughter.

The law dictates a manslaughter charge if an illegal act causes a death.

``In California, the penal code says that if a death results from someone violating the law, then charges should be filed,'' Lassicker said. ``In this case, (Caine) was making an unsafe turn.''

Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Mark Slater said the College of the Canyons sophomore was wearing an ice pack on his leg and was attempting to adjust it as he was driving.

He took his eyes off the road for a few seconds, lost control of his pickup and drove into Pearce, who was running on a sidewalk with a group from the Santa Clarita Youth Track Club. Two other young runners were injured.

Slater said the Sheriff's Department made no recommendation to prosecutors on whether charges should be filed.

After Sandra's death, family members and friends maintained they held no ill will toward Caine and accepted the incident as a terrible accident.

Caine was notified Tuesday of the district attorney's decision to file charges.

``We just found out (Tuesday morning) and we're very disappointed,'' said Judy Caine, Joshua's sister.

Caine, who had played football at Hart High School in Newhall, was not cited by sheriff's deputies the night of the crash and remains free. He is scheduled to appear for arraignment next month in Newhall Municipal Court.

Sandra was training for a children's race scheduled in conjunction with Santa Clarita's annual marathon, said Phil Howard, a board member of the running club.

At a funeral earlier this month, Sandra was remembered by hundreds of mourners for her love of poetry, fish and the environment.