Alleged San Diego Drunk Driver Pleads Not Guilty

August 5th, 2024. San Diego California 92123.

In a follow-up to one of our previous posts, one of the drivers who caused a fatal collision in Kearny Mesa pleaded not guilty to DUI charges.

According to CHP investigators, 24-year-old Aleim Alvarez Garcia, from San Marcos, was driving a Toyota Tacoma on Southbound SR-163 at Interstate 805 on July 19, 2024, when he struck a Toyota Prius. The wreck killed all four people inside the Prius. Investigators said Garcia’s BAC level was twice the legal limit at the time of the wreck.

“What I can say is they (crashes like this) are devastating. Think of this: think of the amount of people in four people’s orbits who will be affected by this crime,” said Deputy District Attorney Spencer Sharpe.

“Immediately after the collision, another driver who was later determined to be under the influence entered the collision scene and hit one of the victims who had been ejected,” he added.

Garcia has no criminal record, but Sharpe insisted he knew the risks. “[Garcia] had attended criminal justice like-classes at a California university, and he admitted to remembering a specific program in high school that was two days of students going over the dangers of drinking and driving,” Sharpe said.

Kearny Mesa is near the edge of the San Diego metro area. Car crash fatalities are usually higher in such areas, especially after multi-vehicle crashes. The nearest trauma center usually has limited capacity and capability. When catastrophically injured victims aren’t immediately treated, the survival rate plummets.

For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in San Diego, contact the Ozols Law Firm.