In California, if a DUI accident leads to a loss of life, the charges can become much more serious than just a DUI. The prosecutor can choose to charge a person with either vehicular manslaughter, which can be either a felony or a misdemeanor. The prosecutor can also choose to charge a person with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, which is a felony. The third thing that a prosecutor can choose to charge a person with who has been in a fatal DUI accident is DUI murder, also known as Watson murder. The sentences for these offenses can vary widely and having an experienced attorney who knows how to defend against these charges is crucial.
The Modesto Bee reports on a man facing gross vehicular homicide while intoxicated charges after a fatal accident.
The crash occurred at about 7 pm last Wednesday night east of Riverbank. A Salida man is facing charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for his role in the accident.
According to the CHP, 56-year-old Larry D. Boyd was driving a 1982 Chevrolet Silverado west on Claribel. He approached a disabled Ford F-150 pickup. The pickup was partially blocking a lane and had its emergency indicators blinking.
Boyd failed to notice the other pickup, driven by 23-year-old Travis Chamberlain and collided with the vehicle. Boyd continued west, driving off-road and into a ditch north of Claribel.
The impact of the Chevy hitting the Ford badly damaged the Chevy. 64-year-old Robert Dale Rodgers, who was a passenger in Boyd’s Chevy, suffered from critical injuries. He was taken to Memorial Medical Center, where he later died.
Boyd suffered from moderate injuries in the crash and was taken to the hospital. He was in custody with a bond of $100,000. He is facing charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
