What started as a routine afternoon in a Long Beach shopping center has turned into a felony case for a local driver, after a 19-year-old nursing student was killed in a parking lot crash last November. Prosecutors on Wednesday charged 39-year-old Long Beach resident Deasean Alphonzia Edwards with vehicular manslaughter in the death of Grace Edwards. He appeared in Long Beach Superior Court, pleaded not guilty, and was ordered held on $30,000 bail. Authorities say distracted driving likely played a role in the collision that left the teen fatally injured.
According to the Long Beach Police Department, the crash happened around 3:55 p.m. on Nov. 2 in the 2200 block of Bellflower Boulevard near Stearns Street, when a 2015 Lexus IS250 pulled out of a parking stall and struck a pedestrian. Long Beach Fire Department crews treated the woman at the scene and took her to a local hospital in critical condition. Detectives were later notified she had died. Distracted driving was believed to be a contributing factor, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Charges and court appearance
Investigators ultimately identified the driver as Deasean Alphonzia Edwards. He was arraigned Wednesday on two counts: vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. Edwards entered a not guilty plea and a judge ordered him held on $30,000 bail while the case proceeds. The charging details and court appearance were reported by the Long Beach Post.
In the days after the crash, friends of the Edwards family launched a fundraiser to help with expenses and honor Grace’s memory. The GoFundMe page describes her as a “vibrant and carefree” 19-year-old who was studying nursing. Organizers wrote that she was an organ donor and that her heart was donated to an 8-year-old child, a detail the family has said brings some comfort amid their grief. The effort has drawn hundreds of donations, according to GoFundMe.
What the charges mean
Under California law, felony vehicular manslaughter can carry a state prison term that, depending on the specific count, can be up to six years, according to the California Legislature. The potential sentence hinges on whether prosecutors pursue the felony counts or lesser charges. The case is being handled in the Long Beach branch of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, which is located at the Long Beach Courthouse, according to Los Angeles County.
Investigation and next steps
Prosecutors said the filing came after a months-long review of the collision and related evidence, according to the Long Beach Post. Detectives with the LBPD Collision Investigation Detail are still asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call (562) 570-7110, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Edwards remains in custody as the case moves toward future hearings at the Long Beach Courthouse.
A small memorial now sits in the parking lot where the crash occurred, and neighbors say the loss has rippled through local church and campus communities. Hoodline previously covered the November collision; see our earlier earlier coverage of the crash for background. This story will be updated as new court filings or hearing dates become public.
