Court appearance set for suspect in fatal head-on collision

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A Goleta man charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for allegedly causing a head-on collision that killed two women in a highway crash last October is scheduled to appear in court next week for arraignment.

Kyle Nelson, 23, first appeared in court for arraignment in December in connection with the Oct. 28 fatal accident, but his case was continued. His arraignment is now scheduled to be heard on Feb. 9, prosecutors said.

Mr. Nelson is accused of driving while under the influence of drugs and crashing into a car on State Route 1 in Gaviota, killing Jenna Corrin Causby, 19, and Dorothy Guthrie, 20, both of Lompoc.

In addition to two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, Mr. Nelson is charged with driving under the influence of any drug causing injury. All charges are felonies.

Prosecutors included a special allegation that Mr. Nelson committed the alleged crime after being released from custody either on bail or his own recognizance in connection with an unrelated case.

The complaint against him also lists aggravating factors, in that the alleged crime involved great violence, great bodily harm or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness, and that the victims were particularly vulnerable.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Mr. Nelson was driving a Ford C-Max south on Route 1 at 80 mph when he approached a northbound Chevy Malibu driven by Ms. Causby. Ms. Guthrie was her passenger.

The 4 a.m. crash occurred as Mr. Nelson overtook slower southbound traffic directly ahead of his vehicle, and he chose to pass them by illegally driving over the solid double yellow line, the CHP said. He ended up driving south in the No. 1 northbound lane, directly into the path of Ms. Causby’s car.

Ms. Causby, realizing his Ford was traveling the wrong way, turned her Malibu to the right in an attempt to avoid a head-on crash. At the same time, however, Mr. Nelson turned his Ford to the left, and the front of his vehicle collided head-on with the front of her Malibu, the CHP said.

The force of the collision rotated both vehicles in a counterclockwise direction.

The Malibu was propelled to the east shoulder where it came to rest facing a westerly direction. The Ford came to rest in the northbound lanes, facing a westerly direction.

After the collision, both vehicles became engulfed in flames.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to tackle the fire and pronounced both victims dead at the scene.

Mr. Nelson sustained major injuries and was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

He was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com for a report of a found body. The deceased 30-year-old man, Mathew Justin Dyet, was discovered with narcotics and drug paraphernalia in his possession, police said, adding that his cause of death was determined to be acute fentanyl intoxication.

The investigation by Santa Barbara police detectives and the District Attorney’s Office took months, but detectives were able to identify Mr. Johnson as the alleged drug dealer who allegedly supplied Mr. Dyet with the fentanyl that caused his death.

Detectives served the warrant Sept. 1 and arrested Mr. Johnson in the 7100 block of Hollister Avenue in Goleta. A search conducted after his arrest allegedly revealed quantities of narcotics that constitute possession with the intent to distribute, police said. Prosecutors charged him with murder, alleging he directly supplied Mr. Dyet with the fentanyl that caused his death between April 28 and 29. He also was charged with the possession and transportation for sale of fentanyl.

Former District Attorney Joyce Dudley said at the time that when “anyone who knew or should have known that their actions could cause death to another, the appropriate charge is murder.”

“As Joyce indicated, these are the first two cases of their kind filed locally, where individuals were charged with murder for providing drugs leading to someone’s death,” Mr. Davis added. “Her comments, regarding innocence until proven guilty, as well as the appropriateness of charging anyone with murder under such circumstances, apply to all three charged defendants.” email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com