The wrong-way driver who caused a fiery crash, killing him and a young La Jolla couple, had multiple DUIs on his record but did not have a California driver’s license, court records show.
David Michael Elmore, 29, died early Sunday after u-turning at the U.S.-Mexico border, speeding more than 100 miles per hour in the northbound lanes of southbound Interstate 5 and traveling 38 miles to Encinitas before crashing into the still unidentified couple.
The Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed Elmore never had a driver’s license in California, but because he continued to get into trouble, the DMV kept track of his wrongdoings.
According to court documents, Elmore was charged two times with a total of five felonies, including driving under the influence of alcohol and having a measurable blood alcohol level. The charges were felonies because he had three or more prior convictions in 10 years for DUI misdemeanors in Oregon and one in San Diego in 2012.
During one of those incidents, Elmore was driving more than 90 miles per hour, court records say. In another, he tested positive for THC in his system, and hash oil was found in his car.
Throughout his DUI history, Elmore had blood alcohol levels well above the legal limit. In one case, he got behind the wheel with a BAC of 0.22 – nearly three times over the legal limit, according to court documents.
Elmore also had two warrants for failing to appear in court. At one point, he was sentenced to one year in custody, but the sentence was suspended as long as he attended an alcohol prevention program.
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At the time of the deadly crash, Elmore was on probation and was driving with a revoked license from another state. According to his Facebook page, he was a bartender for Seasons 52, although a judge specifically prohibited him from working as a bartender. No one at the restaurant would comment on the crash.
According to California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt, Elmore had no license to drive in California and he was told at least four times he was not allowed to drive here.
Officials are still waiting on the results of toxicology reports to determine if Elmore was driving under the influence before Sunday’s fiery crash.
