Jury finds driver of 2016 DUI crash guilty of vehicular manslaughter in SLO
—UPDATE—
The San Luis Obispo County Jury has found Gino Lopez guilty of gross vehicular manslaughter for a DUI crash that happened in 2016. However, the Jury was unable to reach a verdict on a charge of murder.
On April 15, 2016, Lopez was driving south on Highway 101 towards San Luis Obispo at a high-speed rate just south of TV Tower Road on the Cuesta Grade when he made an unsafe turn that sent his 1994 Honda Civic into a guardrail and then into another car that was also traveling south.
Another oncoming car struck Lopez’s car causing his passenger, 16-year old Emily Monique Reyes, to be ejected from the car. The Grizzly Academy graduate later died from her injuries. Lopez and a second passenger fled the scene on foot, but were later found and were arrested.
“The tragic and completely avoidable death of young Ms. Reyes is a sobering reminder that driving under the influence is deadly dangerous and will not be tolerated in San Luis Obispo County,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “We are thankful for the difficult work carried out by this jury and we respect the fact that they were unable to reach a verdict on the charge of murder. The guilty verdicts are a just outcome and Mr. Lopez will no doubt carry the weight of his actions for the rest of his life.”
The Jury found Lopez guilty of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated with an enhancement for fleeing the scene, driving under the influence of alcohol with an enhancement for causing great bodily injury to more than one victim, and leaving the scene of an accident.
The District Attorney’s Office says Lopez has a previous conviction for driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license when he was under the age of 21.
Lopez faces a sentence of up to fifteen years in state prison.
—ORIGINAL STORY—
The California Highway Patrol has released the name of the driver involved in a three-vehicle accident that led to a fatality on U.S. Highway 101 and Cuesta Springs Friday night.
CHP Deputies say 21-year-old Gino Lopez was driving a 1994 Honda at a high rate of speed when it collided into a guardrail and then a semi-truck. A third car then stuck Lopez’s car.
A 16-year-old female passenger was ejected from the car and died at the scene from her injuries.
Another passenger in Lopez’s car was taken to an area hospital with major injuries.
Lopez was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
Two other people in the other vehicles involved suffered minor injuries.
—INITIAL STORY—
A crash involving a semitrailer in San Luis Obispo County has left at least one person dead.
It happened at about 8:30 p.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 101 and Cuesta Springs Road.
A KCOY 12 photographer is at the scene and says that besides the one fatality, another multi-car accident just south of there left several people with minor injuries.
We will provide more updates when new information comes into our newsroom.
