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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