A 12-year-old girl from Los Angeles and her 21-year-old cousin were killed by a suspected drunk driver last Sunday, leaving one man to face a long list of drunk-driving related charges. The San Bernardino Sun reports that 21-year-old Alexander Deleon Velasco remains jailed at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on $25,000 bail. Prosecutors have charged him with gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI causing injury and DUI over 0.08 percent alcohol causing injury.
Alexander Velasco has been accused of running a stop sign and hitting the other vehicle at an intersection in the city of Muscoy. The incident occurred at Mesa and Macy Streets when a pickup truck collided with a Kia Optima. The 12-year-old girl reportedly died at the scene, but the 21-year-old was not immediately killed. The man died in the hospital on Monday night after he was taken off life support. Because there were two deaths involved in the incident, the charges could be amended and enhanced.
DUI accidents often shed light on the dangers of drunk driving, but such situations are quite saddening when young children are killed or injured in drunk driving related accidents. This is why convicted drunk drivers face such tough sentences, especially when there's a death involved.
Any Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer knows that a vehicular manslaughter charge or a DUI causing injury charge can lead to a steep jail sentence, fines, probation, and driver's license suspension. More information about California's DUI laws and manslaughter charges can be found through our Related Resources pages.
Related Resources:
- California DUI Law (FindLaw)
- Driving While Texting and Vehicular Manslaughter (FindLaw's Blotter Blog)
- Contact a Los Angeles DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
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