Jury finds man guilty of gross vehicular manslaughter for DUI Crash
23-year-old Gino Lopez.
–In the afternoon of Sept. 5, 2018. after being unable to reach a verdict on a charge of murder, a jury convicted 23-year-old Gino Lopez of felony Gross Vehicular Manslaughter while intoxicated for the 2016 traffic collision that killed 16-year old Grizzly Academy graduate Emily Reyes on the Cuesta grade.
A San Luis Obispo County Jury found Lopez guilty of the following felonies on the fourth day of deliberations: gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated with an enhancement for fleeing the scene of the crime: driving under the influence of alcohol with an enhancement for causing great bodily injury to more than one victim: and leaving the scene of an accident. Gino Lopez was the intoxicated driver of a vehicle carrying 16-year-old passenger Emily Monique Reyes. a Grizzly Academy graduate. who died of her injuries sustained in a collision on the Cuesta grade on April 15. 2016.
“The tragic and completely avoidable death of Reyes is a sobering reminder that driving under the influence is deadly, dangerous, and will not be tolerated in San Luis Obispo County.” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “We are thankful for the difficult work carried out by this jury and we respect the fact that they were unable to reach a verdict on the charge of murder. The guilty verdicts are a just outcome and Mr. Lopez will no doubt carry the weight of his actions for the rest of his life.”
On April 15. 2016. Gino Lopez was driving South on Highway 101 towards San Luis Obispo with very excessive speed. Just south of TV Tower Road on the Cuesta Grade. he performed an unsafe turning maneuver that sent his 1994 Honda Civic into the guardrail and, ultimately, into another vehicle also traveling southbound on Highway 101. The defendant’s vehicle was struck by an oncoming vehicle and his passenger, Emily Monique Reyes. was ejected from the vehicle. She later succumbed to her serious injuries. Lopez’ other passengers suffered bodily injuries. Lopez and one passenger fled the scene on foot and the defendant was arrested shortly thereafter by California Highway Patrol officers.
