A 20-year-old Dublin man is facing a gross vehicular manslaughter charge after a suspected DUI crash on a sharp curve in Monterey left a 19-year-old passenger dead and two other passengers with non-life-threatening injuries. Sebastian Feliciano was identified by police as the driver of a 2009 silver BMW coupe convertible that struck a tree near where Barnett Segal Lane meets Iris Canyon Road, at a stretch of roadway known for its tight bend.
Crash Killed Livermore Teen, Hurt Two Others
According to NBC Bay Area, officers responded to reports of the crash near Barnett Segal and Iris Canyon roads at about 5:14 PM on Sunday. The vehicle was occupied by Feliciano and three passengers, and all four were transported to Natividad Medical Center for treatment, the outlet reported. The Monterey County Coroner's Office identified the person killed as Jerrod Tyson Chapman-Marshall, 19, of Livermore.
Natividad Medical Center, where all four occupants were taken, is Monterey County's only designated Level II Trauma Center and handles roughly 1,400 trauma cases a year, according to the Natividad Medical Center. Feliciano remains hospitalized, the station's report notes, and showed signs of impairment at the scene of the crash.
Preliminary BAC Well Above Legal Threshold for Adults, Let Alone Teens
A preliminary alcohol screening test indicated Feliciano's blood alcohol level was above 0.13 percent, per the same account. Because Feliciano is under 21, California's Zero Tolerance law under Vehicle Code Section 23136 makes it unlawful for any driver younger than 21 to get behind the wheel with a blood alcohol concentration of even 0.01 percent, a threshold that triggers an automatic license suspension, according to Eisner Gorin LLP.
Underage drivers who record a BAC of 0.05 percent or higher face infractions under Vehicle Code Section 23140, while hitting 0.08 percent or above exposes them to full adult criminal DUI prosecution under Vehicle Code Section 23152, according to Middlebrook & Associates. Feliciano's preliminary reading, more than 13 times the zero-tolerance limit, places him well within range of that adult prosecution threshold.
Investigators Probing Possible Reckless Driving Before Crash
Investigators believe the vehicle traveled from Carmel to Monterey before the crash, and they say it may have been involved in other reckless driving incidents before striking the tree. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Police are asking witnesses and anyone with information about the crash to contact Lt. Ethan Andrews at 831-646-3822.
That kind of witness testimony could prove pivotal to any prosecution. To secure a conviction for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated under Penal Code 191.5(a), prosecutors must prove gross negligence — an extreme departure from ordinary care or a wanton disregard for human life that goes beyond mere impairment, according to Power Trial Lawyers. Reports of erratic driving between Carmel and Monterey before the crash could help establish that standard.
What Feliciano Could Face If Charged
Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is a felony punishable by 4, 6, or 10 years in state prison, according to FindLaw. According to authorities, Feliciano will be booked into Monterey County Jail on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter once he is released from the hospital. Under California law, those convicted under that statute are barred from earning standard custody credits and can only reduce their sentence by up to 15 percent, meaning offenders serve the vast majority of their prison term, per the California Legislative Information database.
Crash Fits Into Broader County and State DUI Trends
The crash adds to a pattern of alcohol-related collisions across Monterey County. The county recorded 17 fatal and injury traffic collisions involving alcohol in 2023, ranking 18th out of 93 benchmarked county population groups statewide, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. That same year, the county recorded two fatal or injury collisions specifically involving drinking drivers under age 21.
Statewide, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities fell 4.5 percent from 1,419 in 2022 to 1,355 in 2023, though drunk driving still accounts for nearly a third of all traffic deaths in California, per the agency's data. Whether the Monterey County District Attorney's Office will file additional formal charges once Feliciano is discharged and booked remains an open question.
