The driver in a crash that killed an aspiring model was arrested Thursday on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Robbie Gillespie, 44, was driving southbound on Midland Road around 5 a.m. on June 20 with 19-year-old Evelyn Courtney in the passenger seat.
He ran a red light as a Poway fire truck was traveling eastbound on Poway Road. The fire truck displayed its emergency lights, but was not using the siren, when the two vehicles collided.
Evelyn Courtney died at the scene. An investigation concluded Courtney was intoxicated at the time of the accident and had left her parents' home to be with Gillespie.
The San Diego medical examiner's report indicated Courtney's blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit.
A broken alcohol bottle was also found in the car officials said.
Officials later found that Courtney's dog also died in the car.
Gillespie had been released from jail two days before the crash. The San Diego Sheriff's Department confirmed that Gillespie had been previously arrested for DUI, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Investigators previously learned that Gillespie and Courtney had known each other for a little more than a year.
Courtney was an aspiring print and runway model who worked at Steinmart in Poway.
Gillespie faces three charges, including vehicular manslaughter and offense. He was in custody in jail Thursday night. An arraignment was scheduled for next week.
