A driver who allegedly fled the scene of a two-car drunken-driving rollover crash on Highway 152 late last month was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter this week, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The charges against Jose Serano-Mendoza, 21, of Sepulveda in Los Angeles County, were ramped up after his seriously injured passenger died. Esteban Lazcano Billalva, 27, of Watsonville was taken off life support May 1, prosecutor Barbara Rizzieri said.
Serano-Mendoza pleaded innocent and will have a preliminary hearing June 15.
The California Highway Patrol reported that Mendoza was driving a black 1993 Honda Civic eastbound Highway 152 west of Casserly Road around 6 p.m. April 26. Serano-Mendoza’s car was behind a gray 2008 Ford Taurus, driven by Brandon Pallott, 33, of Morgan Hill. Pallot’s wife and two children were with him.
Serano-Mendoza crossed over the double-yellow line on a straight stretch of the highway in an attempt to pass Pallott, according to the CHP. When Serano-Mendoza swerved right in an attempt to merge back in front of Pallott, there wasn’t enough clearance and he clipped the front end of Pallot’s car, CHP officer Hugh Holden said.
Billalva was ejected from Serano-Mendoza’s car. He suffered major injuries and was flown to Regional Medical Center in San Jose, where he later died, according to the CHP.
Pallot’s children were transported to Watsonville Community Hospital as a precaution, Holden said.
Serano-Mendoza and two other passengers in the car fled the scene but witnesses detained the driver nearby. Serano-Mendoza faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony drunken driving and felony hit and run, according to the CHP. He is free on bail, according to County Jail records.
Holden said the other two men eventually were located unhurt. Their names have not been released and no charges have been filed against them, but Holden said Friday that CHP officers continued to investigate the crash.
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