Paso Robles driver was second to hit pedestrian. Is he responsible for the man’s death?
A trial for a Paso Robles man accused of fleeing the scene after running over a pedestrian who had already been hit by another vehicle headed into juror deliberations Tuesday.
Christopher Winters, 35, is charged with hit and run causing death after allegedly hitting 22-year-old Steve Leon in the early morning hours of July 3, 2021, near Meadowlark Road and Deer Spring Drive in Paso Robles.
A gray vehicle first struck Leon at 1:40 a.m., the Paso Robles Police Department said at the time, and as officers were on their way to the scene, Winters allegedly separately ran over Leon and did not stop.
Leon had been heading home after drinking with a friend, San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Ashley Cervera said during closing arguments. He was in the middle of Meadowlark Road when he was hit.
Leon was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the first vehicle has not been identified.
Earlier in court, both parties agreed that Winter’s vehicle ran over Leon the second time and had DNA evidence to prove it.
The key question jurors will have to consider, however, is whether Winters had reason to believe he ran over a person at the time of the crash.
Man knew he hit person and lied about it, DA alleges
Cervera told jurors during closing arguments Monday that Winters knew he had run over a person and chose not to stop.
California law requires drivers to stop, render aid and call for help if they hit a person or have reason to believe they hit a person.
“When Mr. Winters hit Mr. Leon, that wasn’t the crime. That was a tragedy,” Cervera said. “The crime was what happened next.”
Cervera said according to testimony from neighbors who witnessed both hit and runs, Leon was still alive and moaning after the first car hit him. He stopped once the second car — the one driven by Winters — ran him over, Cervera said.
She added that Winters texted a friend and told them, “I went back and everything is good. It was a deer already hit. Sleep good. I just have front end damage to replace.”
But Winters told his friend a lie to cover his tracks, Cervera said, because witnesses and responding officers confirmed Winters did not return to the scene.
“Steve Leon was not a curb. He was not a speed bump. And he was not a deer,” Cervera said. “He was a young gentleman.”
When police arrived at Winter’s residence around 4 a.m., Winters told officers there was no collision, and that he was home by midnight. He did not mention hitting anything, including a deer, Cervera said.
She also said injuries from the first car were unknown, but that it was clear that Leon’s injuries from Winters’ car were a “significant factor” in his death, which was caused by “complications with multiple blunt force trauma injuries.”
She said Leon’s intoxication, the fact that it was dark and injuries from the first car were not sufficient defenses and asked jurors to find Winters guilty.
Pedestrian was dead after first car ran him over, defense attorney argues
Defense attorney Paul Phillips told jurors the neighbors who saw the accidents saw them from far away and had unreliable testimonies that didn’t match up.
A neighbor who said Leon was moaning was actually upstairs in the house while the other neighbor, her husband, relayed information to her, Phillips said.
He also said the neighbor could not relay a lot of details to the 911 operator, telling the operator, “It was dark.” He added that it is plausible that Winters could not see Leon because of how dark it was, despite having headlights.
“This is one of those situations when there is a victim of tragedy and somebody wants a villain unfortunately,” Phillips told jurors. “Mr. Winters isn’t the villain here.”
Phillips pointed out that Leon’s friend who was with him at the time of his death testified he knew Leon was dead after the first car hit him. The friend said he said a prayer over Leon before running home.
He added that there was no way to distinguish what injuries came from which car.
Winters parked his car outside his residence and did not try to hide any damage or evidence, Phillips said, adding that the damage to the car was not extensive.
“There was nothing that Mr. Winters knew at that time that would have told him that it was a person,” Phillips said.
Phillips asked jurors to find his client not guilty.
This story was originally published March 26, 2024 at 4:02 PM.
