A Lompoc man has pleaded not guilty in a criminal case linked to a fatal crash Aug. 25 that led to a Santa Maria man's death days later.
Eduardo Chavez Hernandez, 41, has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence causing injury, and driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% or higher causing injury.
He also faces a pair of special allegations, or sentencing enhancements, for causing great bodily injury and driving with a BAC of 0.15% or higher.
The criminal complaint alleges that the defendant had a 0.16% BAC at the time of the crash.
Santa Maria police say he is suspected of causing an Aug. 25 head-on crash that led to another driver's death in Santa Maria.
Mathew Venable, 60, of Santa Maria died Aug. 30, five days after he and another person were critically injured in a crash on Skyway Drive, Santa Maria police said.
At approximately 1:15 a.m. Aug. 25, personnel from the Santa Maria Police and Fire departments were dispatched to a collision on Skyway Drive at Auto Park Drive, Santa Maria firefighters said.
American Medical Response ambulance personnel also were sent to the scene.
The crash left one driver trapped in a vehicle and needing extrication, Santa Maria firefighters said.
After failing to navigate a curve on Skyway Drive, Hernandez's vehicle reportedly traveled into the opposing lanes and collided head-on with Venable's vehicle, police said.
A passenger in Hernandez's vehicle sustained moderate injuries requiring sutures for a laceration to his head.
Hernandez was arrested and booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and felony DUI crash causing great bodily injury.
He was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $100,000 and released on a bail bond hours after the crash.
The criminal complaint was filed in early October in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, and Hernandez made his first court appearance Oct. 23.
The case is scheduled to return to court Nov. 21, when the attorneys and judge may set a date for the preliminary hearing.
Hernandez remains free on $100,000 bail, but was ordered to enroll in a program for wearing an electronic device for monitoring alcohol use.