People v. Lopez CA4/3

FACTS

Seventeen-year-old Douglas, a student at Oxford Academy, prepared to go to a speech and debate tournament early Saturday morning. About 5:30 a.m., Douglas and his father, 44-year-old Steven, left the house; it had been raining that night. As Steven drove through a nearby intersection, 18-year-old Lopez, who was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, ran a red light at a high rate of speed and struck the Useltons’ car. Lopez did not apply the brakes before colliding with Douglas’s side of the vehicle. Douglas and Steven were pronounced dead at the scene. Officer Angel Ramirez arrived at the scene about 5:35 a.m. The cars were “signifigant[ly]” damaged, and the Useltons’ car was on the front lawn of a nearby house. Ramirez went to Lopez’s car; the driver’s side window was down. Lopez’s eyes were bloodshot and watery, and he appeared confused. Ramirez asked Lopez, who was leaning back, if he was okay and Lopez mumbled and slurred his speech. As firemen tried to get Lopez out of the car, he sat up and tried to start the car. When Lopez was out of the car, he stumbled but said he was okay. Paramedics put Lopez on a gurney and took him to the hospital. Officer Roger…