The California Highway Patrol is wrapping up its investigation into the fatal Nov. 6 car accident that killed 19-year-old Gavilan College basketball player Andrel Gaines. And once complete, the case will be in hands of the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether to file charges against the two drivers who were involved in the horriffic wreck, CHP Officer Tony Tam told the Dispatch.
“The officers are finishing up their investigating. There’s still some interviews to do,” Tam said.
Gaines died Nov. 18 at San Francisco General Hospital, 12 days after suffering severe brain trauma in the accident, which the CHP said occurred around 1:30 a.m. on southbound U.S. Highway 101 in Millbrae.
Gaines and four others, including teammates Davontea Johnson and Billy Heard, who was driving, were heading south after a night out at a San Francisco club when Heard reportedly swerved to avoid a tire in the roadway, causing the black Cadillac sedan to collide with the center median.
As the vehicle rested in the fast lane, a red Nissan 300ZX driven by 43-year-old San Jose resident Dennis Leffew crashed into the Cadillac, the CHP said. Heard and Leffew were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, though a toxicology report obtained by the Gilroy Dispatch showed Heard was not drunk.
