Cathedral City man charged with DUI gross vehicular manslaughter
An 18-year-old Cathedral City man accused of triggering a deadly collision while under the influence of alcohol and drugs was charged Tuesday with gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI charges. Jose Bustamante Meza was arrested on suspicion of DUI after officers said he caused the deadly crash at Whispering Palms Trail and McCallum Way at about 2:40 a.m. on Thursday, March 30.
Authorities have identified the victim as Miguel Villanueva Munguia, 26, also of Cathedral City.
Commander Julio Luna with the Cathedral City Police Department said Meza was driving a Jeep Cherokee westbound on McCallum Way at an unsafe speed and ran a stop sign. As the Jeep entered the intersection at Whispering Palms Trail, it collided with a Ford Mustang that was traveling northbound on Whispering Palms Trail.
He said the Jeep struck the passenger side door of the Mustang . Manguia was the front passenger in the Mustang and he died at the scene.
The Mustang was lawfully in the intersection after stopping for the stop sign, according to the police investigation.
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Both Meza and the driver of the Mustang were taken to Desert Regional Medical Center. KESQ and CBS Local 2 is still waiting for more details about the injuries the driver of the Mustang sustained in the crash.
Meza was found to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the collision and he was arrested on charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and drugs, according to CCPD’s release.
Along with the manslaughter count, Meza is charged with three counts of DUI causing injury, a misdemeanor count of driving without a license and sentence-enhancing allegations of causing great bodily injury.
Meza is being held on $500,000 bail. He has no prior Riverside County felony convictions, according to court records.
KESQ News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will continue to keep you updated as the case moves forward in court.
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