Driver charged with manslaughter for deadly Paso Robles crash that killed his passenger
San Luis Obispo County prosecutors filed criminal charges Monday against a Northern California man who allegedly crashed a vehicle while driving impaired in Paso Robles, killing his passenger.
Wilder Blue Barela, a resident of the Bay Area city of Campbell, was allegedly driving under the influence of both alcohol and drugs when he crashed into a tree on Union Road.
His passenger, 25-year-old Maya Lakshima Visvanathan of Los Altos, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.
On Monday, the District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the combined influence of alcohol and a drug causing injury or death, and driving with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.08.
It was not immediately clear late Monday what maximum sentence the 32-year-old faces should he be convicted of all charges.
The crash happened at about 6:20 p.m. on July 13, 2019, in the 5700 block of Union Road, just west of Mill Road, CHP and Cal Fire said at the time.
Barela and Visvanathan were the sole occupants of the vehicle.
Barela, the driver, received major injuries in the collision and was taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, a CHP spokesman said.
He has been in custody at the San Luis Obispo County Jail — where he’s being held in lieu of $100,000 bail — since his release from the hospital three days after the crash.
He is scheduled to be arraigned in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Thursday, when he’s expected to enter a plea.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 6:38 PM.
