Irvine man charged with felony manslaughter after woman dies in DUI accident

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15HF0110

Date: January 29, 2015

DRUNKEN DRIVER CHARGED FOR KILLING PASSENGER BY LOSING CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND CAUSING ROLLOVER CRASH

SANTA ANA – A drunken driver was charged today for killing a passenger by losing control of his vehicle and causing a rollover crash. Colin Michael Selsted, 27, Irvine, is charged with one felony count each of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury, driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or more causing bodily injury, and sentencing enhancement allegations for driving with a blood alcohol level of .15 percent or more, and inflicting great bodily injury. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison. He is being held on $100,000 bail. The defendant was arraigned in court today and is scheduled for pre-trial hearing on Feb. 20, 2015, at 8:30 a.m., in Department H-1, Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach.

At approximately 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2015, Selsted is accused of drinking with a group of friends at a restaurant. The defendant is accused of traveling to a friend’s home and continuing to drink with the group. Later in the evening, the defendant is accused of leaving the home and driving in his Volkswagen Golf GTI with 23-year-old Devon Williams seated in the passenger seat.

At approximately 10:55 p.m. the defendant is accused of losing control of the vehicle and spinning out on Shady Canyon Drive, just east of Cloverfield, causing the vehicle to rollover multiple times down a hill before coming to a stop after hitting a concrete block wall. A resident living near the site of the crash called 911.

Emergency personnel arrived and extracted the defendant and victim from the vehicle and transported them to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. The victim suffered a severe skull fracture as a result of the crash. Approximately two hours after the crash, the defendant is accused of having a blood alcohol concentration of .17 percent.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2015, the victim was declared brain dead. Hours later, she was declared deceased.

The Irvine Police Department investigated this case.

Deputy District Attorney Stephen Cornwell of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

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TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718