Matthew Engwall pleaded no contest Wednesday to vehicular
manslaughter in the January drunk driving death of former San
Benito High School student Adam Baxter, which could send the
21-year-old to prison for up to four years and eight months.
Hollister – Matthew Engwall pleaded no contest Wednesday to vehicular manslaughter in the January drunk driving death of former San Benito High School student Adam Baxter, which could send the 21-year-old to prison for up to four years and eight months.
Engwall and his attorney, Bud Landreth, said they agreed to a plea so both Engwall and Baxter’s families could move forward.
“They were best friends,” he said. “It’s a plea and he stood there like a man and said he did it. His main concern was his friend.”
The plea came during Engwall’s preliminary hearing, where a judge would have decided if there was sufficient evidence to charge Engwall with the crime. After hearing testimony from the California Highway Patrol officer who arrived at the scene and questioned Engwall the night of the accident, Engwall agreed to a plea of no contest instead of taking the case to trial.
Four of Engwall’s family members sat through the afternoon hearing, often putting their arms around each other and wiping tears from their eyes as the CHP officer relayed the incident. Engwall was moved to tears as well, listening for the first time since that night to the officer’s retelling of the tragic event, Landreth said.
As part of the plea, the San Benito County District Attorney’s Office dropped a charge of felony gross vehicular manslaughter and instead agreed to felony vehicular manslaughter. Engwall also pleaded no contest to driving under the influence causing injury and driving with a blood alcohol level above .20.
If convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter, Engwall, who declined to comment, could have faced up to 10 years in prison. Superior Court Judge Steven Sanders will sentence Engwall in June, and the San Benito County Probation Department will recommend whether Engwall should receive the maximum sentence or a reduced one. Landreth is confident that Engwall will receive probation and up to one year in the county jail. While jail time is inevitable, Landreth said even Engwall believes he should be appropriately punished.
Baxter’s family, who did not appear in court but who staunchly supported Engwall after the Jan. 2 accident, could not be reached for comment.
Baxter, 20, was killed after being thrown through the windshield of Engwall’s 1997 Ford Thunderbird when the car drifted into a ditch on Union Road in the early morning hours of Sunday, Jan. 2 and overturned, according to the CHP.
Engwall suffered some minor cuts and bruises, but was saved from major injuries because he was wearing his seat belt. Baxter was not.
Baxter, a natural athlete who wrestled and played football and baseball before graduating from San Benito High in 2002, died just two days before his 21st birthday, according to his family. He wrestled at Moorpark Junior College in Southern California after high school and was on his way to Cabrillo Junior College in Aptos to continue his education, according to his father.
When reminiscing about their loved one, friends and family members all commented on Baxter’s desire to live life to the fullest and not waste a moment.
CHP Officer Rayce Zamarripa said in court when he arrived on the scene Baxter was lying on the side of the road, unconscious and paramedics were attending to him. He was transported by Calstar to Stanford Medical Center where he was pronounced dead due to multiple blunt force trauma.
Zamarripa said he interviewed Engwall while he was strapped to a gurney in an ambulance before being taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital, and later to the San Benito County Jail. Zamarripa said Engwall told him he drank at least eight beers before driving, but was unsure where they were headed that night. Zamarripa said the odor of alcohol emanating from Engwall was very strong, and later a breath test showed he had a blood alcohol level of .22 – nearly three times the legal limit.
“He was disoriented, and very concerned about his passenger,” Zamarripa said in court. “He was very upset about what was going on with him (Baxter), whether he was injured or not. He continued to ask how Adam was doing.”
After the hearing’s conclusion, Landreth met with Engwall and his family outside the court house and told them he planned to do everything he could to make sure Engwall receives the lightest sentence possible. He told them to send at least 10 letters of support to the probation department to show what kind of person Engwall is – to which Engwall’s mother said, “That’s easy.”
District Attorney John Sarsfield said he believes that while the situation is tragic, that justice was served. He wouldn’t comment on any of the aspects of sentencing, except that his office would resist any attempt to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor, which a judge has the discretion to do at sentencing, he said.
“We think it’s a felony case. Except that it remain a felony, the sentencing is between the defendant and the judge,” he said. “Given all the facts of the case, it’s fair. Vehicular manslaughter cases can be difficult because there’s a lot of sympathy for drivers who make mistakes, because anybody who drives makes mistakes.”
Engwall will be sentenced on June 8 at 9am in Department 1 of the San Benito County Superior Court.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
