Man pleads not guilty in deadly Palm Springs crash
A motorist accused of triggering a collision in Palm Springs while high on drugs, killing one of his passengers and injuring three other people, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of murder and DUI causing
injury.
Robert Garcia Jr., 50, of Yucca Valley, also faces sentence-enhancing allegations of causing bodily injury to multiple victims. He’s being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on $1 million bail.
His front-seat passenger, 39-year-old Yucca Valley resident Keyon Parks, died, while a back-seat passenger was seriously injured in the crash, which occurred at 5:49 p.m. Monday.
According to police, Garcia turned left onto Amado Road from Sunrise Way– directly into the path of an oncoming SUV that struck the passenger sideof his car. The SUV’s driver and a passenger suffered moderate injuries, police reported.
Garcia, who’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, is set to return to Indio’s Larson Justice Center Feb. 15 for a felony settlement conference.
