Salinas man sentenced to 14 years for collision that killed coach

UPDATE: 9/12/2018 25-year-old Jaime Perez Garcia of Salinas was sentenced to 14 years in state prison for the collision that killed William Henry.

Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, a five-year enhancement for hit and run causing death, and a three-year enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury to an additional victim, Alyssa Castro. The defendant must serve 80% of his sentence before parole eligibility.

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UPDATE: 8/8/2018 4:09 p.m. A Salinas man pleaded guilty to driving drunk when he veered off the road, struck two people and took off.

39-year-old William Henry died in the accident. He and Alyssa Castro were walking on Work Street in Salinas when 25-year-old Jaime Perez Garcia ran them over.

The hit-and-run occurred around 2:30 a.m. on March 23, 2017.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said, “The defendant, driving his Ford Bronco, drove onto the sidewalk and collided with the two pedestrians. The defendant instead of staying at the scene and rendering aid, sped off leaving behind his broken bumper, license plate and his two victims laying injured on the ground.”

Henry died from his injuries. Castro suffered a broken back, broken ribs, lacerated liver and brain bleeding.

Garcia was found five hours later at his girlfriends house. His blood alcohol level was a .10 and the DA’s office said it would have been a .198 at the time of the crash, two times the legal limit.

The DA’s office said Henry loved sports and coached his children’s teams. He was known as Coach Billy.

Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of Vehicular Manslaughter While Under the Influence with an additional 5 years for Hit and Run Causing Death and an additional 3 years consecutive for causing Great Bodily Injury to the Victim, Alyssa Castro.

Garcia was sentenced to 14 years in state prison and will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

PREVIOUS STORY:

The Salinas City Police Department confirmed a deadly hit-and-run on Work St. near John St. and Good Night Inn killing a Salinas resident.

The hit and run happened around 2:38 a.m. when William Henry Crabbe and Alyssa Castro were walking on the northbound east sidewalk of Work St. when a ’89 black Ford Bronco drove northbound in the number two lane at high speed.

The two pedestrians were struck. William Crabbe died on the scene and Alyssa Castro was taken to the hospital.

Police say the driver, Jaime Garcia, was under the influence of alcohol.

A family member reached out to KION and identified the victim as William Henry, 38, who was a father of two and a little league baseball coach who loved the Dallas Cowboys.

The suspect fled the scene. California Highway Patrol later spotted the suspect vehicle in South Salinas. CHP contacted police who then arrested Garcia.

Police say Garcia was on probation for a DUI in 2014 and was driving on a suspended license.