Driver charged with manslaughter, DUI in fatal crash in San Francisco's SoMa
A driver is facing multiple charges, including vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence, following a deadly crash in San Francisco's South of Market earlier this week, prosecutors said.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office announced that 28-year-old Manuel Diaz-Chi was arraigned Thursday in connection with the crash, which took place near the intersection of 10th and Folsom streets early Tuesday morning.
Diaz-Chi was charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury. He is also accused of having a blood alcohol level of .15% or higher and that he inflicted great bodily injury on the victim.
Prosecutors said Diaz-Chi was behind the wheel of a Mazda van on 10th Street shortly after 5 a.m. He allegedly had been drinking all night and into the early morning hours.
When reaching the intersection of 10th and Folsom, Diaz-Chi was allegedly following other vehicles too closely. He then went around the vehicles and ran over a woman who was in the middle of the intersection, according to prosecutors.
The victim was dragged for a block. Police said they found the victim underneath Diaz-Chi's van.
Medics took the woman to a hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
Prosecutors said Diaz-Chi "displayed objective symptoms of intoxication" to police and that officers found bottles of beer in his vehicle. Diaz-Chi declined field sobriety tests but consented to a breath test which revealed a blood alcohol at 0.16%, more than twice the legal limit, at 8 a.m.
During Thursday's hearing, prosecutors moved to have Diaz-Chi detained pending trial. The court set bail at $80,000 and he remains in custody.
Diaz-Chi is scheduled to appear for a bail review hearing on Tuesday.
