Man pleads not guilty to charges after crash that killed 85-year-old
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IDAHO FALLS – A 36-year-old man pleaded not guilty last week to multiple charges after he was involved in a crash that killed an 85-year-old man.
Juan Manuel Lopez pleaded not guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter and an enhancement for being a persistent violator.
RELATED | Man charged with vehicular manslaughter after crash kills 85-year-old man
Police reports show on Oct. 5, around 10:30 a.m., Lopez and a female passenger were driving in a red Nissan Altima, going east on East Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls. According to the police report, Lopez fell asleep, and the car drifted into a left turn lane.
The Nissan struck head-on with a white Chevrolet driving west on East Sunnyside Road.
The victim, identified as 85-year-old Larry Beauchat of Idaho Falls, was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and succumbed to his injuries around noon.
Lopez told officers he did not remember the crash but admitted to drinking two beers and using methamphetamine that day.
RELATED | 85-year-old man dies after crash on Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls
Inside the car, officers reportedly found a Motorola phone, empty Suboxone packets, a glass Coke bottle that had been turned into a bong, a lockbox, a black bag, $14 in cash, and an iPhone.
Officers obtained a search warrant for the bags, laptop, lockbox, and phones. Inside the lockbox, they reportedly found four grams of methamphetamine and five glass pipes with methamphetamine residue.
The passenger has not been charged in connection to this incident, and it is unclear if she will be.
Lopez is expected to appear for a jury trial on June 12. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.