Suspect in fatal street racing crash pleads not guilty

One of two men accused of causing the death of an 81-year-old woman while racing BMWs in Rancho Mirage pleaded not guilty Thursday and was taken into custody.

Wade Wheeler, 32, of Rancho Mirage entered his plea at the Larson Justice Center in Indio in connection with the June 18, 2013, crash that killed Barbara Schmitz and seriously injured her husband Gerald.

According to court records, a warrant for Wheeler was recalled Tuesday when he appeared in court for arraignment, which was rescheduled to Thursday. At Thursdays morning’s hearing, Riverside Superior Court Judge Victoria Cameron ordered him taken into custody in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Cameron said Wheeler raced his car through a busy area. She said he’d gotten out of prison for a previous offense less than five years before the crash, and behaved in a way that endangered lives.

The judge said he could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted, and believes he’s a flight risk.

Deputy District Attorney Daniel Fox argued for the $200,000 bail, saying Wheeler was a danger to “everyone on the road.”

“The defedent and the victim were doing their own thing when Mr. Wheeler came crashing into their lives, literally, and we don’t want that to happen to anyone else,” the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Susanne Cho asked the judge to consider reducing her client’s bail to $100,000 or putting him under house arrest. She argued that he has a stable residence, and that a pretrial report said he was likely to appear in court.

“He’s been checking in with our office, he comes to court of his own accord … he feels responsible, he’s here,” she said.

Wheeler and co-defendant Scott Bahls, 29, of Palm Springs, are each charged with one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and unlawfully engaging in a speed contest on a highway.

Bahls, who is also charged with one count of hit-and-run causing death or injury, is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 28. Wheeler is due back in court Oct. 8.

Charges were filed against both men on Aug. 25, court records show.

According to a declaration filed in support of an arrest warrant, Wheeler was seen on Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage “revving his vehicle’s engine to gain the attention of the driver of another BMW, Scott Bahls. Witnesses said the two BMWs had been traveling in excess of 70-80 mph at times.”

According to another declaration, witnesses reported seeing both vehicles swerving through traffic and “communicating to each other through their windows. Both vehicles were seen either side by side or within a car length apart.”

Wheeler’s vehicle, which was going east on 111, crashed into the passenger side of a vehicle driven by Gerald Schmitz as he was turning left at Dunes View Road. Schmitz’s car launched into the air and rolled several times.

Barbara Schmitz died at a hospital about two hours after the crash, according to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office. Her husband suffered serious injuries, according to the declarations and criminal complaint. Wheeler had been driving 74 mph before the crash and suffered a broken leg.

Riverside County District Attorney’s Office spokesman John Hall said previously that prosecutors “carefully examined all the evidence in this case before making our decision on what charges were the most appropriate to file. The decision was based on the evidence as found during the thorough investigation done by law enforcement.”

He added that the case involved “complex crash reconstruction” and
many witness interviews.

Bahls was arrested Aug. 31 in Palm Springs and posted an $80,000 bond, according to jail records.