Driver guilty of manslaughter in deadly 2019 San Francisco high-speed crash
A jury in San Francisco has convicted a man in connection with a high-speed head-on crash that killed another driver in 2019, prosecutors said.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office announced Tuesday that a jury found 31-year-old Valentino Miles guilty of gross vehicular manslaughter following a trial. Miles is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7.
"This tragedy was 100% preventable," Jenkins said in a statement. "I hope this verdict brings the victim's family some closure and a sense of healing and sends a message to all that my office takes these cases seriously and will seek justice for as long as it takes."
According to testimony presented at trial, Miles was driving a rented Chevrolet Corvette Z06 on Oct. 6, 2019. Prosecutors said he drove the sports car at speeds reaching 140 miles per hour on Evans Avenue towards Hunters Point Boulevard in the city's Bayview, far above the posted limit of 35 mph.
Miles then took a sharp right-hand turn at 90 mph and was unable to maintain his lane, crossing into oncoming traffic. He then crashed into another vehicle head-on at 76 mph, pushing the vehicle back about 90 feet.
The driver of the other vehicle died from the collision.
Assistant DA Angela Rose said, "The victim was leaving a dog park to meet his family for a Sunday afternoon picnic when his life was needlessly taken by Mr. Miles' egregious and reckless actions - turning Evans Avenue into his own personal racetrack."
Prosecutors said Miles is out of custody ahead of sentencing.
