| For Immediate Release Case # 12NF0972 March 16, 2012 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
DRUNKEN TEEN DRIVER TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR KILLING MOTORIST IN WRONG-WAY, HIGH-SPEED CRASH IN RENTED U-HAUL TRUCK
FULLERTON – A drunken teen driver will be arraigned Monday for killing a motorist in a head-on crash while speeding on the wrong side of the road in a rented U-Haul truck. Dustin David Lish, 19, La Habra, is charged with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated with a sentencing enhancement for fleeing the scene of the crime. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison. Lish is expected to turn himself in to the court for arraignment Monday, March 19, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. in Department N-12, North Justice Center, Fullerton. The People will request Lish be taken into custody at that time on $250,000 bail.
In the late afternoon on Nov. 19, 2011, Lish is accused of consuming alcohol with friends at his home in La Habra. The defendant is accused of leaving his home with a friend and being driven by his sister to a U-Haul facility on Lambert Road in La Habra, where Lish worked. The defendant is accused of renting a U-Haul truck with his friend with the intention of hanging out inside. The facility manager rented the truck to the two men, but refused to let Lish drive because he was visibly intoxicated.
Lish is accused of getting into the passenger seat of the truck and his friend got into the driver’s seat and drove around the corner. After driving away from the U-Haul facility, Lish’s friend pulled over and the defendant is accused of switching into the driver’s seat.
At approximately 5:40 p.m., the defendant is accused of driving erratically at a high rate of speed in the U-Haul truck. He is accused of veering into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road and side-swiping a Nissan sport utility vehicle (SUV) after the driver of that vehicle swerved to avoid a head-on collision.
After side-swiping the SUV, Lish is accused of continuing at a high rate of speed into oncoming traffic and crashing head-on into a Hyundai accent driven by 20-year-old Joseph Quezada. The defendant is accused of crashing into the victim with such great force that Quezada’s car was pushed backward into the car behind him.
Lish and his friend are accused of getting out of the U-Haul and fleeing the scene on foot.
Quezada was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The La Habra Police Department, who investigated this case, responded to the scene and located the defendant.