On Tuesday, September 15th, the driver involved in a fatal DUI crash in Stanton, California, took his plea. 21-year-old Camp Pendleton Marine Christian Alejandro Vasquez pled guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter.
The defendant reiterated the same plea for a misdemeanor count of driving without a valid driver’s license. Vasquez made a rare open plea, meaning that there is no guarantee on the severity of the punishment he would face at his sentencing scheduled for January 12th, 2021.
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According to the Orange County prosecutors, the man faces up to ten years imprisonment. Facts from the accident report disclosed that he had up to .26% blood alcohol concentration at the time of the occurrence on Sunday, August 16th. The number is over three times the legal limit.
Deputy District Attorney Avery Harrison said Vaquez drove the wrong way on Beach Boulevard, thereby causing the collision that led to the demise of 70-year-old Jerry Duplesse. The victim lived for five days after the occurrence before succumbing to his injuries.
The defendant’s guilty plea caused the prosecutors to drop the charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, causing injury, and driving with a BAC of more than .08% or more causing injury. There is no additional information.
Under the California Vehicle Code, driving under the influence of alcohol or an illegal chemical compound and wrong-way driving are severe offenses. To prove the former, the prosecutor must show that the defendant operated a motor vehicle while impaired and, in that state, performed an act that endangered another person.
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