SAN DIEGO -- An alleged wrong-way drunken driver accused of triggering a pursuit that climaxed with the fiery death of a San Diego County sheriff's deputy is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a status conference.

Jose Pedro Lopez Jasso, 22, pleaded not guilty last week to charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI causing death and a misdemeanor charge of driving the wrong way on the freeway in the Feb. 28 death of sheriff's Deputy Ken Collier, 39.

Deputy District Attorney Damon Mosler said outside court that Jasso drove impaired for at least an hour after leaving a bar in Oceanside, where he drank and smoked marijuana.

Mosler said Collier was headed eastbound on state Route 52 just after 3 a.m. when he noticed Jasso's car going the wrong way on the freeway.

The deputy made a U-turn and gave chase, driving on the fast-lane shoulder of the road before hitting a bridge abutment and crashing 500 to 600 feet down a ravine, Mosler said.

When Jasso was pulled over a mile down the road, he admitted drinking and smoking marijuana and said he thought he was on Interstate 5 near Carlsbad, the prosecutor said.

Collier, who was engaged to be married, died after being flown to a hospital. A county dispatcher riding with the victim, Ryan Debellis, suffered minor injuries.

Witnesses said it was foggy and the roads were wet at the time of the crash.

Mosler said the defendant was a Mexican national and has been deported before.

Jasso faces a maximum 11 years in prison if convicted.