Man Faces 7+ Years in Prison for DUI Crash That Killed Cousin

By Bay City News Service: 

A South San Francisco man has pleaded no contest to felony vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence in connection with a 2013 crash in Daly City that left his cousin dead, prosecutors said Friday.

Dennis Rogelio Salguero, 23, entered the pleas in San Mateo County Superior Court in Redwood City on Thursday for the Dec. 18, 2013, crash that killed his cousin, 33-year-old Gilbert Vallejo of Daly City.

He faces a seven-year, eight-month prison sentence after reaching a plea agreement with the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

 Prosecutors said Salguero spent the afternoon downing tequila shots at his father's home in Daly City on the day of his cousin's death. Even after his father and uncle urged him to take BART, the defendant insisted on driving with Vallejo and another cousin as passengers, according to prosecutors.

Salguero was speeding on Interstate Highway 280 in Daly City when he struck the center divider near Westlake Avenue, causing Vallejo to be ejected from the car. Vallejo was killed and Salguero and his other cousin suffered moderate injuries in the crash, according to prosecutors.

Officers arriving on the scene found the defendant unconscious in the driver's seat and obviously intoxicated. His blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.14 percent, prosecutors said.

Salguero's sentencing is set for June 12.