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An alleged drugged driver accused of causing a freeway crash that killed a 10-year-old Northern California girl and seriously injured her older sister and father in Seal Beach was charged Wednesday with gross vehicular manslaughter and other felonies.
Adam John Kanas, 36, of San Clemente, pleaded not guilty Wednesday afternoon to three counts of driving under the influence of a drug causing injury and one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated with a prior conviction for reckless driving.
He also faces a sentencing enhancement allegation for a prior strike in 2014 for first-degree burglary in Los Angeles County, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege Kanas was under the influence of “cocaine and opiates” at the time of the Monday morning crash that killed Kendra Geddis.
The youngster was pronounced dead at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, and her 13-year-old sister, Kayla, remains hospitalized in serious condition.
The girls’ father — 49-year-old Donald Geddis of Hillsborough — was also seriously injured in the 9:22 a.m. collision involving three vehicles on the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway, just north of Seal Beach Boulevard, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Joy.
Kanas was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe north in the fast lane when he swerved into the carpool lane, Joy said. Donald Geddis, who was driving a 2015 Tesla Model S, was in the carpool lane, at a “near stop” behind a 2012 Honda Civic, when the Tahoe slammed into the rear of the Tesla, which crashed into the Civic, the officer said.
A CHP officer was en route to the area before the crash because of reports of an impaired driver behind the wheel of a Tahoe, the CHP reported.
Prosecutors allege Kanas was driving up to 80 mph, swerving across multiple lanes and finally the double-yellow line separating the carpool lanes from the rest of traffic.
Two off-duty Los Angeles County firefighters and two Costa Mesa firefighters, who were taking a truck in for service, stopped and helped extricate the victims from the Tesla. They had to get the victims out through the front of the crumpled car.
The girls’ father is president of the board of the Hillsborough City School District, whose superintendent, Anthony Ranii, released a statement of support for the family.
“The loss of a child is a tragedy beyond our understanding,” Ranii said. “We are a close community, and everyone in the district will be there to support the Geddis family in the difficult days ahead.”
–City News Service