Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012 | 5:28 p.m.
Defense lawyers for Gary Lee Hosey Jr., accused of driving drunk into a bus stop and killing four people last week, say blood tests show he was under the legal limit for alcohol.
Defense attorney Dayvid Figler, who is representing Hosey along with attorney Kristina Wildeveld, said the defense has received test results indicating Hosey had alcohol and traces of marijuana in his system, but his blood-alcohol content was lower than the legal threshold of 0.08 percent.
Based on the test results so far, Figler said it appears “drugs and alcohol did not have a significant impact on the accident.”
Figler said the investigation is ongoing and the defense has not received all the information related to the case. Hosey’s family retained Figler and Wildeveld to serve as his defense lawyers, Figler said.
The hearts of Hosey and his family go out to the victims’ families, Figler said, adding that Hosey is “taking all this real rough.”
Hosey, 23, is scheduled to appear Friday morning in Las Vegas Justice Court, where formal criminal charges will be read. The District Attorney’s Office has not released the criminal complaint against Hosey.
The quadruple-fatal crash happened at about 6:25 a.m. Sept. 13. Metro Police say Hosey was driving a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo at high speed on Spring Mountain Road when he apparently lost control and struck a bus stop near Decatur Boulevard.
Four pedestrians died at the scene: Margoth Gonzalez, 65; Hyon Cooley, 47; Gerber Ayala-Tomasino Jr., 24; and Johnni Garner, 49. Eight others, including Hosey and his four passengers, were injured in the crash.
Hosey told officers he had been at a bar and drank a Budweiser beer before the accident, according to the arrest report. Hosey estimated he was traveling 60 mph in a 45-mph zone immediately before the crash because he was trying to return his girlfriend’s car before she had to leave for work at 7 a.m.
Officers at the scene reported Hosey had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, an unsteady gait and smelled of alcohol, the report stated. A preliminary breath test showed Hosey’s blood-alcohol level was beyond the legal limit of 0.08 percent, according to the report.
Hosey was arrested in on four counts of felony driving under the influence causing death. He remains in the Clark County Detention Center without bail.
Sun coverage
- Police: Driver estimated he’d had one beer before fatal bus stop crash (9-17-2012)
- Judge orders driver in fatal bus stop crash held without bail (9-17-2012)
- Last two of bus stop crash’s four deceased victims identified (9-14-2012)
- Metro says driver in bus stop fatal is being transferred to jail (9-14-2012)
- Day after deadly crash, bus riders wonder about missing passengers (9-14-2012)
- Police ID driver in bus-stop crash that killed 4 (9-13-2012)
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