A big wave surfer is facing gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI charges for a wrongful death car accident in Del Mar last year in which his passenger was killed.

Our car accident attorneys in San Diego believe there is no excuse for getting behind the wheel too drunk to drive.  Drunk driving causes too many car accidents each year, and this problem needs to stop.  The surfer was driving recklessly and speeding at the time of the fatal car accident.

The car accident occurred on June 6th last year.  The man was driving a car that belonged to a friend.  He was driving at 65 mph in a 25 mph zone and unfortunately ran a stop sign.  He then lost control of the car and crashed into a parked car.  The car spun around and hit a palm tree and then slammed into another parked car.

The passenger, who was wearing a seatbelt, was killed in the auto accident, while the surfer was partially ejected from his seat.

This man is a renowned figure in surfing circles in California.  He and his twin brother run a surfing school in Solana Beach.  They have co-written a motivational book that is very popular in surfing circles.  The two have been responsible for establishing the first surfing class in an American public high school back in 1972.  The surfer driver himself has been an innovative surfer, and is credited with the development of a technique called “tow-in surfing.”

If this man is convicted of vehicular manslaughter, he may face up to 11 years and 8 months in prison.  It could be a shameful end to a glorious career that has been marked by major professional triumphs.

Our Del Mar car accident lawyers hope that a man as accomplished as this would realize the folly of his ways when he decided to drunk drive.

Hopefully, his mistakes will also inspire future car drivers to do the right thing.  Our car accident lawyers in San Diego want all drivers to make the right decisions when it comes to knowing when you shouldn’t get into a car too drunk to drive.  To inform more drivers, we have a helpful DUI prevention resource page full of information about different organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney after you get into a car accident and find out how we can help you.   We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case.  No fee if no recovery.