SAN DIEGO -- A man who allegedly drove the wrong way on a freeway while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, causing the death of a sheriff's deputy in pursuit, must stand trial on gross vehicular manslaughter and other charges, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Jose Pedro Lopez, also known as Jose Lopez Jasso, faces up to 13 years in state prison if convicted in the Feb. 28 death of Deputy Ken Collier.
Witnesses testified that they saw a small sedan traveling eastbound on westbound state Route 52 around 3:15 a.m. that day.
Maria Sanders said she was driving home to Miramar when she noticed the headlights of a wrong-way driver. The witness said she pulled over to the right shoulder and let the wrong-way vehicle pass her.
"I was afraid that he might hit me," Sanders testified.
The witness said she noticed a sheriff's vehicle with its emergency lights in pursuit, then saw it hit something and burst into flames.
Robert Redfield, who was driving a charter bus, testified that he slowed down and saw the same explosion.
"It was surreal," the witness said.
Redfield said the sheriff's SUV went five to 10 feet into the air before crashing over a bridge abutment and into a steep canyon.
The witness said an officer pulled up and screamed, "That's my partner! That's my partner!'
Sheriff's Deputy Derek Ralph testified that he responded to Collier's radio transmission that he was following a wrong-way driver.
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Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Suspected DUI driver fished out of Mission Bay
SAN DIEGO: A suspected drunk driver trying to elude police crashed and then jumped into the water near DeAnza Cove Sunday afternoon where he had to be fished out by lifeguards.
A police sergeant saw the man drive by him on West Mission Bay Drive at an estimated 70 to 90 mph about 1:15 p.m., San Diego police said.
He followed the driver who crashed into a fence and then climbed over it in an effort to get away, police said.
Lifeguards retrieved the man from the water and he was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
He will face driving under the influence charges, police said.
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A police sergeant saw the man drive by him on West Mission Bay Drive at an estimated 70 to 90 mph about 1:15 p.m., San Diego police said.
He followed the driver who crashed into a fence and then climbed over it in an effort to get away, police said.
Lifeguards retrieved the man from the water and he was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
He will face driving under the influence charges, police said.
Source
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Holiday DUI arrests increase
At least 684 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in San Diego County during the last two weeks of the year, up from 398 in the same period last year.
The arrests were the result of a winter holiday DUI crackdown, which lasted from midnight Dec. 18 through midnight Thursday night. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department compiled the preliminary data from 17 law enforcement agencies in the county and released the results on Friday.
The department urged the public to call 911 to report DUI suspects.
“When you see a car swerving all over the road, driving much too fast or much too slow, braking for no reason, driving with no headlights at night or signaling one way and turning the other, make that call to 911,” said Sgt. Jason Rothlein.
Source
The arrests were the result of a winter holiday DUI crackdown, which lasted from midnight Dec. 18 through midnight Thursday night. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department compiled the preliminary data from 17 law enforcement agencies in the county and released the results on Friday.
The department urged the public to call 911 to report DUI suspects.
“When you see a car swerving all over the road, driving much too fast or much too slow, braking for no reason, driving with no headlights at night or signaling one way and turning the other, make that call to 911,” said Sgt. Jason Rothlein.
Source
Monday, March 15, 2010
Deaths up, DUI arrests down during holiday weekend
SAN DIEGO COUNTY — Over the long Christmas weekend, 67 people were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in San Diego County, the California Highway Patrol said Monday.
The number of arrests fell from the prior year, when the total was 95, even though the period when data was collected — from Thursday evening through midnight Sunday — was two days longer than last year.
Meanwhile, San Diego County highway fatalities jumped this holiday season. Seven people died in the CHP’s jurisdiction, the agency said, compared to two in 2008.
CHP spokesman, Officer Larry Landeros, said he had no information about the nature of the fatalities.
Statewide, 1,104 people were arrested for driving under the influence during the holiday period, down from 1,397 the prior year. California saw 22 highway fatalities, compared to 37 in 2008.
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The number of arrests fell from the prior year, when the total was 95, even though the period when data was collected — from Thursday evening through midnight Sunday — was two days longer than last year.
Meanwhile, San Diego County highway fatalities jumped this holiday season. Seven people died in the CHP’s jurisdiction, the agency said, compared to two in 2008.
CHP spokesman, Officer Larry Landeros, said he had no information about the nature of the fatalities.
Statewide, 1,104 people were arrested for driving under the influence during the holiday period, down from 1,397 the prior year. California saw 22 highway fatalities, compared to 37 in 2008.
Source
Sunday, February 28, 2010
California DUI charge for death of unborn child considered
A New Year's Day accident around 3AM in the San Diego area took the life of a 6-month's pregnant woman and her unborn child.
Authorities have charged the suspect, 40-year-old Joseph Antony Venegas, with gross vehicular manslaughter and two counts of DUI causing injury. Arraignment for Venegas has been postponed because the driver was in medical isolation; he was only arraigned last Friday on the charges.
21-year-old Elaina Luquis-Ortiz and her unborn child, Romeo Fransisco, were both killed and two others were injured. Venegas was not charged in the death of the fetus, which is possible though not uniformly enforced in the state of California. The decision on this matter is pending.
Luquis-Ortiz was traveling home with her husband from a New Year's Eve party when they were called to assist another driver with a flat tire. She pulled her own car behind the disabled vehicle to await further assistance. At that point, a much larger Chevrolet Tahoe struck the parked car.
Luquis-Ortis died at the scene nearly immediately upon impact. The other passengers, who she was assisting, suffered serious injuries.
Source
Authorities have charged the suspect, 40-year-old Joseph Antony Venegas, with gross vehicular manslaughter and two counts of DUI causing injury. Arraignment for Venegas has been postponed because the driver was in medical isolation; he was only arraigned last Friday on the charges.
21-year-old Elaina Luquis-Ortiz and her unborn child, Romeo Fransisco, were both killed and two others were injured. Venegas was not charged in the death of the fetus, which is possible though not uniformly enforced in the state of California. The decision on this matter is pending.
Luquis-Ortiz was traveling home with her husband from a New Year's Eve party when they were called to assist another driver with a flat tire. She pulled her own car behind the disabled vehicle to await further assistance. At that point, a much larger Chevrolet Tahoe struck the parked car.
Luquis-Ortis died at the scene nearly immediately upon impact. The other passengers, who she was assisting, suffered serious injuries.
Source
Monday, February 15, 2010
More than a year later, Vincent Jackson continues to duck DUI charge
As the San Diego Chargers prepared to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the 2008 playoffs, receiver Vincent Jackson was arrested for DUI.
A year later, the case is still pending, as Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune recently pointed out.
And because Jackson has yet to plead guilty to or be convicted of the alleged crime, the league's procedure for suspending Jackson has not yet initiated. Which has allowed Jackson to avoid missing any time.
As a result, Jackson has played every game this season, and he has caught 68 passes for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns.
The delay has arisen in part from the maneuverings of Jackson's lawyer, who has obtained multiple continuances of the case.
Still, with Jackson heading for restricted free agency, Jackson's interests would be better served to have this one behind him. Moving forward, it'll likely be a factor in the magnitude of any offers he receives, from the Chargers or any other teams.
Source
A year later, the case is still pending, as Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune recently pointed out.
And because Jackson has yet to plead guilty to or be convicted of the alleged crime, the league's procedure for suspending Jackson has not yet initiated. Which has allowed Jackson to avoid missing any time.
As a result, Jackson has played every game this season, and he has caught 68 passes for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns.
The delay has arisen in part from the maneuverings of Jackson's lawyer, who has obtained multiple continuances of the case.
Still, with Jackson heading for restricted free agency, Jackson's interests would be better served to have this one behind him. Moving forward, it'll likely be a factor in the magnitude of any offers he receives, from the Chargers or any other teams.
Source
Sunday, November 15, 2009
CHP reports one death, 82 DUI arrests in San Diego County
The California Highway Patrol reported that one person died on San Diego County roadways during the first 60 hours of the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Drunken driving arrests were down, too, according to the CHP.
Two people died on local roads during the same time period last year, according to CHP Officer Jesse Udovich.
A motorcyclist, 37-year-old Mitchell Paul Pinder of Spring Valley, died Sunday morning when he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a metal guard rail while heading east on State Route 94 west of Barrett Lake Road in Dulzura, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported.
There were 82 drunken driving arrests between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday, compared to 110 in 2008. Statewide, 10 people died in crashes during the time period, down from 18 last year, Udovich said.
The officer said 1,262 people were arrested for drunken driving, down from 1,416 last year.
The number of fatalities includes all law enforcement jurisdictions statewide, while the drunken driving arrests are only those made by CHP officers.
Source
Drunken driving arrests were down, too, according to the CHP.
Two people died on local roads during the same time period last year, according to CHP Officer Jesse Udovich.
A motorcyclist, 37-year-old Mitchell Paul Pinder of Spring Valley, died Sunday morning when he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a metal guard rail while heading east on State Route 94 west of Barrett Lake Road in Dulzura, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office reported.
There were 82 drunken driving arrests between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday, compared to 110 in 2008. Statewide, 10 people died in crashes during the time period, down from 18 last year, Udovich said.
The officer said 1,262 people were arrested for drunken driving, down from 1,416 last year.
The number of fatalities includes all law enforcement jurisdictions statewide, while the drunken driving arrests are only those made by CHP officers.
Source
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