An accused DUI driver hit and killed a grandfather changing a tire on his granddaughter’s car on the side of a highway, California prosecutors say.
Now, the 25-year-old driver has pleaded no contest to multiple charges stemming from the July collision, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said in a March 5 news release.
Virginio Cortez was on the side of Highway 101 in Salinas changing a tire on his granddaughter’s car the afternoon of July 20, prosecutors said.
At the same time, Jose Sanchez was driving south down the highway “speeding and weaving in and out of traffic in a reckless manner,” witnesses said, according to prosecutors.
Sanchez swerved onto the freeway shoulder and hit Cortez, prosecutors said. He also hit Cortez’s daughter who was trying to alert other drivers of the disabled car.
Cortez was pronounced dead on scene, prosecutors said.
“It happened so fast,” witness Emilio Paniagua Felix told KION. “I would imagine that family was having a good day, and who would’ve thought something like that would happen.”
At the time of the crash, Sanchez had a blood alcohol level of 0.220%, over two times the legal limit, prosecutors said.
He pleaded no contest “to one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury,” according to prosecutors.
“Sanchez also admitted enhancements for causing great bodily injury and having a blood alcohol level above .15 at the time of the crash,” prosecutors said.
When Sanchez is sentenced, he faces up to 11 years and 8 months in prison, prosecutors said.
‘77 years spreading joy’
Cortez spent “a wonderful 77 years spreading joy, love, and happiness to everyone he encountered,” according to his obituary
He grew up in San Jose after immigrating to the United States from Mexico at age 11, his obituary says.
After graduating from high school in 1966, he was accepted into Santa Clara University; however, he enlisted in the Marines and served in the Vietnam War, according to his obituary.
He received a number of awards, including a National Defense Service Medal, during his military tenure and was honorably discharged in 1969, his obituary says.
Cortez went on to work for a telephone company for 37 years until his retirement in 2007.
During his retirement, he enjoyed “gardening, yard work, and being readily available to help his family with whatever they needed,” his obituary says.
He often participated in 5K races on weekends with family after unlocking the love for them on his 69th birthday, according to his obituary.
“His genuine smile and witty sense of humor lit up the room and his immeasurable warmth and kindness left an unforgettable mark on anyone who was fortunate enough to know him,” his obituary says. “Virginio radiated generosity and compassion, lending a helping hand and support to his loved ones is what brought him joy.”
He is survived by his wife, three children and seven grandchildren, his obituary says.
Salinas is about a 60-mile drive south from San Jose.
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