GREENFIELD — Greenfield resident Nicanor De Jesus Sanchez, 23, pled guilty June 7 to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and admitted causing great bodily injury to multiple victims.
Sanchez will be sentenced Aug. 21 by Judge Julie R. Culver and faces a possible sentence of 16 years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
On Feb. 11, 2017, Sanchez was driving with a blood alcohol content of .23 and crashed his car through a road closure gate located at the Elm Avenue bridge east of Greenfield. His Honda Accord spun out of control after crashing through the steel gate and collided with three pedestrians, who were crushed between his car and a steel guard rail and violently thrown into the Salinas River.
Due to an abnormally wet winter, the Salinas River was flowing very rapidly and had breached its banks, flooding farmlands and roadways throughout the county.
Despite extensive wounds, two of the victims were able to struggle their way to the riverbank.
The third victim was carried downstream, and his body has not been recovered to this day despite multiple attempts by search and rescue teams as well as friends and family.
Sanchez entered his plea during the third day of jury trial in this case. A Monterey County Jury had been sworn, opening statements had been given and evidence was being presented when the defendant elected to enter his plea to all of the charges alleged.
This case was investigated by California Highway Patrol Officer Ryan Denker, Monterey County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Darlington and Monterey County District Attorney Investigator Terri Edwards.
