Crime & Safety
UPDATED: Driver in Fatal Crash Arrested for Vehicular Manslaughter
Alexander Goodrich will face charges for a fiery crash last August that took the life of his friend.
The Dana Point man whose Jeep slammed into a shed in August, killing his passenger, has been arrested for vehicular manslaughter in connection with the accident.
Alexander August Goodrich, 21, is out on bail, having posted a $100,000 bond. He has been charged with felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and a misdemeanor charge of hit and run with property damage, according to court records.
Assistant District Attorney Nancy Hayashida said the "gross negligence" indicates various traffic infractions that led to the accident. Among them are speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road and running "at least one" red light.
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"Witnesses said he was traveling at a very high rate of speed for a very long time," Hayashida said.
Driving east along Del Obispo street, Goodrich lost control of his Jeep just past the intersection with Camino del Avion. He crashed through a fence and careened down a hillside before .
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The Jeep burst into flames. Goodrich, who was only moderately injured, was able to free himself in time, but his passenger, , also 21 of Dana Point, was not.
Passers-by, both driving above on Del Obispo and playing below on nearby sports fields, came running to give assistance. But the flames kept them away. They heard ’s pleas for help but could do nothing.
Goodrich has a series of traffic violations on his young record, including two for speeding. He was also arrested in August 2010 for possessing alcohol before he was 21. He pleaded guilty to that charge the same month.
A witness, varsity baseball coach Justin Schuda, said at the time that Goodrich, appeared to have a leg injury, Schuda said. “He was saying, ‘Help my friend.’ He was kind of mumbling. It seemed like he was in shock, too. He walked on his own power.”
Schuda tried his best to help.
“By the time I got there, the little fire coming out of where the engine was ignited some of the hill, the bushes. It ultimately got too big. We had to back off,” he said.
Goodrich’s arraignment has been set for Feb. 14.
As for the property damage associated with the misdemeanor charge of hit and run, spokesman Marcus Walton said he did not know how much damage was done to school property.
