Prosecutor: Driver drunk in Idaho Falls accident that killed 6

IDAHO FALLS – A man accused of causing a car crash that killed six people is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to a press release from Bonneville County District Attorney Randy Neal, the state has requested an amendment of the criminal charges against 26-year-old Luis Garcia-Diaz.

Garcia-Diaz, of Rexburg, was charged with six counts of vehicular manslaughter in connection with a traffic crash on U.S. 20 on May 18.

Neal says the change is based on additional evidence received during the Idaho State Police investigation that “suggests that the defendant was operating his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.”

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The change in the law will not change the charges, but will allow a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for each charge.

“The original charges were based on evidence collected at the crime scene, but the blood alcohol level was now determined based on evidence obtained by state police through the service of search warrants,” Neal says.

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EastIdahoNews.com has requested additional information from the Idaho State Police regarding the circumstances of the accident and the occupants.

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The fatal accident occurred in the early morning hours of May 18 on US Highway 20 near the Lindsay Boulevard exit in Idaho Falls.

A Dodge Ram pickup truck was traveling eastbound when it “drifted left off center and collided with a westbound Chevrolet passenger van,” according to an Idaho State Police news release.

At the time of the collision, there were 14 passengers and the driver in the van.

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Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor identified the deceased as Abel Mejía Martínez, 43, Pedro Manuel Alcantar Mejía, 26, Brandon Ponce Gallegos, 24, Jose Guadalupe Sánchez Medina, 20, Luis Enrique Sereno Perez, 32, and Javier Gomez Alcantar, 36.

All came from Mexico, but it is not clear from which area. The investigation to determine Garcia-Diaz’s immigration status is ongoing.

“The driver of the van and five other passengers succumbed to their injuries at the scene of the accident,” the press release states. “Nine other passengers in the van were injured and taken to a local hospital by ambulance.”

The nine surviving passengers of the van were taken to nearby hospitals; their condition is unknown.

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The driver of the pickup truck, Garcia-Diaz, was also taken to a hospital for treatment.

Both lanes were closed for five and a half hours, and the westbound lane remained blocked for an additional hour while Idaho State Police, Idaho Falls Police Department, Idaho Falls Fire Department and Idaho Transportation Department responded to the scene.

Although Garcia-Diaz is accused of these crimes, it does not necessarily mean that he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

If convicted, Garcia-Diaz faces up to 90 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on June 7.