SF Man Pleads Guilty To Fatal Crash That Paralyzed 5-Year-Old Girl
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A San Francisco man pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts on Thursday after paralyzing a five-year-old girl and killing his passenger while driving intoxicated near the Sonoma Raceway in October 2013, prosecutors said.
Damodar Chandradas pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence causing great bodily injury and paralysis, and transporting methamphetamine and cocaine for the purpose of sales with a loaded firearm.
Chandradas was driving under the influence of alcohol and cocaine on Oct. 29, 2013, when he lost control of his vehicle while taking a blind turn on southbound state Highway 121 at high speed, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.
Chandradas swerved into oncoming traffic and crashed into a vehicle driven by Gustavo Mejia and carrying his five-year-old daughter Jazzlin, who was in the backseat.
The collision resulted in the death of Chandradas' passenger, Sergei Beoglozan, left Jazzlin Mejia permanently paralyzed from a spinal injury, and injured Gustavo Mejia with numerous fractures to his legs, prosecutors said.
A search of Chandradas' vehicle found large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine along with a loaded firearm.
Chandradas had been driving with a suspended license at the time of the collision, prosecutors said.
"This is a deeply sad and tragic event that has forever devastated the lives of the victims, their families and the surrounding community," District Attorney Jill Ravitch said in a statement.
The maximum sentence for Chandradas is 31 years in state prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2014.
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