A 49-year-old Costa Mesa man is facing vehicular manslaughter and other charges stemming from an alleged alcohol-fueled fatal hit-and-run collision in Costa Mesa.
Bernardo Alvarez Zalpa was charged Wednesday with single felony counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence, hit-and-run with permanent and serious injury, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level exceeding the legal limit of .08%.
Zalpa, who was arrested Thursday, also faces sentencing enhancement allegations of fleeing the scene after committing a vehicular manslaughter and inflicting great bodily injury.
According to the criminal complaint, Zalpa allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of .062 at the time of the Dec. 4 crash on the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway.
Zalpa was driving south in the fast lane, just north of Del Mar Avenue, when his 2002 Honda Accord veered across the freeway and crashed into a 2017 Mini Cooper just after 6 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The Honda then crashed into a 1997 Toyota 4Runner in the Del Mar off-ramp. The 4Runner overturned, ejecting 48-year-old Jose Olguin of Orange, who was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
The Accord veered back into the freeway before the driver exited at Victoria Street, where Costa Mesa police detained him until CHP officers arrived, according to the highway patrol.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, a 41-year-old San Clemente man, escaped injury.