Fox affiliate station KTVU reports that a former priest who had been removed from church service by the Catholic church in 1987 is now facing the charge of manslaughter and DUI after a fatal crash over the weekend.
Authorities say that 75-year-old Stephen Miller Kiesle was charged with vehicular manslaughter and DUI by the Contra County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, April 20.
Police reports indicate that on Saturday, April 16, a husband and wife from the Rossmoor Retirement Community were walking near their home at the intersection of Tice Creek Drive and Fairlawn Court when Kiesle’s vehicle veered onto the sidewalk, striking the man and sideswiped his wife.
Officers with the Walnut Creek Police Department and paramedics responded to the scene and rushed the couple to John Muir Medical Center. The 64-year-old man was pronounced dead at the hospital, while his wife suffered minor injuries in the incident.
Police arrested Kiesle on suspicion of DUI and booked him into the Contra County Jail. A judge set Kiesle’s bond at $600,000.
Court documents indicate that Kiesle has had a long history of sexual abuse involving minor girls and boys. In 2004, Kiesle served g six years in prison for an incident in 2004 involving a girl. After serving time, Kiesle is a registered sex offender.
Kiesle’s arraignment for the vehicular manslaughter and DUI charges against him is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Martinez.
