A suspected drunken driver had a measured blood-alcohol level of 0.13 two hours after a Mira Mesa crash that left a young woman dead, according to a San Diego County Deputy District Attorney.
Christian Evangelista, 21, is facing gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI causing injury charges.
He pleaded not guilty through an attorney at his arraignment Monday. A judge ordered him held on $1 million bail.
Evangelista is accused in a fatal crash that happened in Mira Mesa over the weekend.
Prosecutors said Evangelista was drinking with friends at home when they decided they wanted to get more alcohol.
One friend offered to drive, prosecutors said, but Evangelista said he was okay to drive, according to Deputy District Attorney Bright.
Evangelista was behind the wheel of the Honda sedan at approximately 1 a.m. Sunday morning, driving on Camino Ruiz, approaching Zapata Avenue, when the crash happened, police said.
A 20-year-old behind the wheel of an Acura pulled out onto Camino Ruiz, police said.
Evangelista t-boned the driver of the Acura, police said. The 19-year-old driver, later identified as Tutam Le, was t-boned and taken to the hospital, where she died.
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“He was traveling 55 to 60 miles per hour and t-boned Tutam Le head-on,” Bright said. “His BAC was .13 two hours after the collision, which means it would have been .16 to .17 at the time of the collision.”
Anyone with information related to the above incidents is encouraged to call the San Diego Police or contact Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
