A Hollister man accused of driving under the influence during a Sept. 30 accident that left his passenger dead will appear in court on a vehicular manslaughter charge Oct. 23, according to authorities.
Travis White, 30, of Hollister is also charged with driving under the influence and causing great bodily injury, according to San Benito County Assistant District Attorney Ellen Campos. The maximum sentence for the vehicular manslaughter charge is four years in prison, and the max for the felony DUI charge is six years.
About 11pm Sept. 30, White was driving a 2002 GMC Yukon northbound on Quien Sabe Ranch Road east of Hollister at about 45 mph, according to the California Highway Patrol. For an unknown reason, White turned the GMC in an unsafe manner, causing the vehicle to overturn.
Investigators determined that neither White nor his right front passenger, a 20-year-old Hollister man, were wearing their seatbelts, the CHP said. Both were ejected from the vehicle as a result of the collision.
The passenger suffered fatal injuries due to the collision, according to authorities. White suffered minor injuries.
When officers responded to the scene of the accident, they arrested White on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. After White was treated at Hazel Hawkins Hospital for his injuries, he was booked at San Benito County Jail.
White remains in custody at the county jail in lieu of $130,000 bail, Campos said. His Oct. 23 hearing at San Benito County Courthouse is scheduled as a preliminary hearing setting.
