Former Cal Poly student enters plea to DUI hit-and-run that injured 2 women
A former Cal Poly student accused of driving drunk during a hit-and-run crash that hospitalized two people pleaded not guilty to felony charges on Wednesday.
Twenty-year-old Ishan Pandhare is suspected of hitting two 20-year-old women, also Cal Poly students, with his car at 9:31 p.m. on Jan. 8 while they crossed the street in San Luis Obispo, sending the women to the hospital with major, but non-life-threatening, injuries.
A third 20-year-old woman was also hit but not hospitalized, San Luis Obispo Police Department spokesperson Christine Wallace told The Tribune.
The suspect vehicle, a Tesla Model 3, was found early the following morning multiple blocks away. Pandhare was then arrested and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of two felony hit-and-run charges.
Pandhare was enrolled at Cal Poly at the time of the crash, Wallace said.
Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier said Wednesday that Pandhare’s name no longer appears in the school’s student directory, but he could not provide any additional details due to privacy laws.
Adrienne Haddad, Pandhare’s attorney, told The Tribune that he has since been suspended, but not expelled. Pandhare was also ordered not to step foot on Cal Poly’s campus, which should not be an issue since he is not currently a student, Haddad said.
Pandhare’s charges were later updated to include three felony counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving causing a specified injury and leaving the scene of an accident, according to an updated news release from the San Luis Obispo Police Department on Wednesday.
The latter-most charge is the same as a felony hit-and-run causing personal injury or death, which is what the court record reflects, Wallace said. The other original felony hit-and-run charges was dropped to a misdemeanor, according to court records.
Pandhare also faces four sentencing enhancements — including three counts of causing great bodily injury and one count of there being multiple victims — and a violation for unsafe speeding, according to court records.
Pandhare pleaded not guilty to all counts on Wednesday, Haddad said. His bail, originally set at $20,000, was raised to $150,000, court records show.
His father appeared in court with him and posted his bail, Haddad said. Pandhare is currently living with his family in San Diego as he awaits his next court date, she said.
Pandhare was ordered not to drive a car or drink alcohol while on bail, as well as attend at least one alcohol abuse counseling session a week, court records show. He was also instructed to submit chemical testing to any police or probation officers upon request and that he will be subject to a search of his personal belongs, home or car for alcohol at any time by an officer.
His next court appearance was scheduled for March 11.
.jpg "unnamed (2).jpg")
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 11:25 AM.
