Soledad man sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison for deadly DUI crash in August 2020, D.A. says
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- UPDATE ON APRIL 11, 2024 AT 4:50 PM- 32-year-old David Merino Ramirez has been sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison for vehicular manslaughter for a DUI crash in August 2020.
The Monterey County District Attorney's Office said the crash took place on Aug. 21, 2020 when Ramirez was driving northbound at speeds that exceeded 80 miles per hour on Metz Road between the cities of Greenfield and Soledad.
Pacioni said that Ramirez lost control of his car and hit a dirt embankment and flipped his car upside down.
The crash killed 26-year-old Noe Santillan who was a passenger in the car.
Pacioni said that the California Highway Patrol did multiple field sobriety tests and found Ramirez had a blood alcohol level of .17 twice the legal limit.
During the trial, jurors were told that Ramirez had two prior DUI convictions in 2015 and 2019. Ramirez was told that if he drove a car while under the influence that he would be charged with murder.
Monterey County jury convicts DUI driver of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter for deadly crash in August 2020
A 32-year-old man has been found guilty of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter for a DUI crash that happened back in August 2020.
The Monterey County District Attorney's Office said David Merino Ramirez was speeding with a passenger in his car on Metz Road between Greenfield and Soledad back on August 21, 2020 around 9 p.m.
At one point the D.A. said Ramirez lost control of the car, hit a dirt embankment and flipped his car upside down.
The D.A. said the passenger in the car, 26-year-old Noe Santillan, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The CHP did a series of field sobriety tests and found Ramirez to have a blood alcohol level of .17 over twice the legal limit.
Prosecutors told jurors Ramirez had two prior DUI convictions back in 2015 and 2019. During that time he was told if he drove a car while under the influence of alcohol and caused a deadly crash he would be charged with murder.
The D.A. said Ramirez faces up to 15 years to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 14, 2024.
