A 51-year-old man faces two counts of vehicular manslaughter and others in an alleged drunk driving crash on State Highway 35 near Woodside last month, San Mateo County prosecutors said Monday.
James Morton Worthington, a Woodside resident, had dinner and drinks June 21 with two friends, Henry Keating and Josh McGuigan, at Alice's restaurant, located on Highway 35, also known as Skyline Boulevard, according to the U.S. District Attorney's office. county.
The three then got into Worthington's sedan and allegedly drove down winding Skyline Boulevard at speeds of approximately 90 mph before Worthington lost control of the car in the area of Reids Roost Road and crashed head-on into a tree, causing caused the car to catch fire, prosecutors said.
Witnesses removed Worthington, who was unconscious, from the vehicle and took him to Stanford Hospital with broken ribs and other injuries, while Keating and McGuigan were pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.
At the hospital, officers noticed the smell of alcohol on Worthington, whose blood ethyl content was .10 percent three and a half hours after the crash.
The defendant made his initial court appearance last Friday to face charges of vehicular manslaughter and DUI, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Worthington, whose defense attorney was not immediately available for comment, remains in custody on $1 million bail and will return to court Aug. 4 for a preliminary hearing.
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