Authorities have released the name of the Santa Barbara man killed last weekend in a suspected DUI crash in Santa Barbara.
The victim was Steven Doyle Carlson, 71, according to Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale of the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Carlson was fatally injured in a head-on collision on West Carrillo Street near Miramonte Drive at about 8:20 p.m. Sunday.
Both drivers were injured and transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Ragsdale previously said it appears that the driver of a Nissan sedan — Jose Fermin Lopez Jr., 24, of Santa Barbara — was traveling west on Carrillo Street “at a high rate of speed and without headlights on.”
Lopez allegedly drifted into oncoming traffic in the other lane and slammed head-on into a Mercedes sedan driven by Carlson, Ragsdale said.
Carlson succumbed to his injuries at the hospital several hours after the collision, according to Ragsdale.
Lopez Jr. was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence causing death and vehicular manslaughter, according to police.
“Officers believed Lopez was under the influence of alcohol, and a DUI investigation was completed,” Ragsdale said. “Search and arrest warrants were approved by a Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge and Lopez was placed under arrest.”
Lopez remained hospitalized on Wednesday, and will be booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail once he is released, Ragsdale said.
According to the criminal complaint filed against him on Wednesday, Lopez is facing four felony counts, including murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% or more.
He also faces two special allegations of causing great bodily injury.
He was arraigned Wednesday at the hospital, but did not enter a plea, according to District Attorney Joyce Dudley.
The arraignment was continued until Nov. 22 in Santa Barbara Superior Court.
Once he is booked into the County Jail, Lopez’s bail will be set at $2 million, Dudley said.
The case is being investigated by the Police Department’s Critical Accident Reconstruction Team.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
