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Salinas man Sentenced to Prison for Fatal DUI Collision in Soledad

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Thursday, December 17 that 23-year-old Jose Saul Flores Orellana of Salinas has been sentenced to prison for gross vehicular manslaughter with intoxication. On July 4, 2019, at 2:44 p.m., Orellana was driving his Honda Accord at a high rate of speed on Arroyo Seco Road and around Clark Road in Soledad when he lost control of the Honda he was driving. The vehicle careened off the road, overturned, and landed in a drainage ditch by the road. Orellana’s passenger, 23-year-old Jose Antonio Escobar of Salinas died due to major blunt force trauma from the collision. When California Highway Patrol officers contacted Orellana, they noticed that he smelled of alcohol. Upon inquiry, Orellana admitted to drinking a couple of beers earlier that day. A DUI investigation was conducted, and Orellana failed a series of Field Sobriety Tests, which are tests made to aid police officers in determining whether a person is under the influence of alcohol. An evidentiary breath test later revealed that Orellana had a blood alcohol content of .13%. In California, anyone who drives with a blood alcohol level of .08%, or above, is assumed to be driving under the influence of alcohol. The Honorable Rafael Vasquez sentenced Orellana to serve 6 years in the California Department of Corrections for causing Escobar’s death. This case was investigated by California Highway Patrol Officer David Reichard.

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