No Contest Plea Entered For Fatal Crash In Diamond Bar

A car accident that involves a fatality can be a traumatic experience for everyone involved. Unfortunately for a driver who is intoxicated, this can complicate the DUI charges and make them even more serious. Many times, the driver will either be charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, which can be either a felony or a misdemeanor. Another charge that is possible where fatalities are involved is gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The misdemeanor still holds a pretty stiff penalty of up to one year in county jail. The felony charge is much more serious and carries a penalty of up to four years in state prison. On the second charge, sentencing can depend on your previous DUI history. With no previous DUIs, it is a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison. 

The OC Register reports that a man from Santa Ana has pleaded no contest in a DUI crash that killed two people in Diamond Bar. 

31-year-old Vincent de la Vega pleaded no contest on Monday to a charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. 

De la Vega was charged with murder in connection with a deadly crash on the southbound Orange Freeway in Diamond Bar. 

The crash occurred shortly before 3 a.m. on October 28, 2017. 

28-year-old Eduardo Gonsalves-Lins and his passenger, 24-year-old Pamela Quiroz-Lopez were in a 2014 Toyota Corolla when Gonsalves-Lins veered to the right and crashed into a tow truck parked on the right shoulder just south of Diamond Bar Boulevard. De la Vega then crashed into the struck the Toyota. Both the driver and the passenger of the Toyota were ejected from the vehicle. 

Both Gonsalves-Lins and Quiroz-Lopez were killed in the crash. De la Vega suffered from broken ribs and bruises to his chest. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI. 

De la Vega is due back in court on Tuesday, where family members of the victims will read victim impact statements. 

 

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