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Man Accused In Fatal Crash Pleads Not Guilty
POSTED: 3:25 pm PST November 26,
2008
UPDATED: 6:12 pm PST November 26,
2008
CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- A motorist accused of driving drunk and leaving the scene of a crash in which two brothers were killed pleaded not guilty Wednesday to multiple felony charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter.Enrique Coronado, 31, is accused of getting drunk in Tijuana and returning to Chula Vista about 11:30 a.m. Friday, when his pickup truck crashed into a Mitsubishi Galant at Brandywine Avenue and Main Street, police said.Coronado allegedly left the scene, but was arrested when he came back to get his wallet, Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright told South Bay Judge H. Ronald Domnitz.
Daniel Spickerman, 18, was pronounced dead at Rady Children's Hospital about three hours after the crash.His brother, Otay Ranch High School senior Jason Spickerman, 16, was declared brain dead Saturday afternoon at Scripps Mercy Hospital and his organs were donated.Another brother was driving the Mitsubishi and suffered minor injuries. He was treated at a hospital and released, according to police.The prosecutor said Coronado has been arrested in the past for smuggling immigrants and has a prior conviction for possessing marijuana for sale. He also has a 1996 conviction for robbery.Besides two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, Coronado is facing two counts of driving under the influence causing injury and one count of leaving the scene of a traffic accident.He faces more than 41 years in state prison if convicted and is in jail on $1 million bail.Jason's organs were donated by his foster parents against the wishes of his biological family.The foster parents said the boy would have wanted to help others by donating his organs, but his biological family objected because they thought he might recover one day.
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