Man Pleads Guilty In Fatal DUI Crash Into Building In La Mesa

LA MESA, CA — A man who crashed his SUV into an adult daycare facility in La Mesa while driving under the influence of drugs, killing a man inside the building, has pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and other charges.

Daniel Joseph Corona of La Mesa, 62, is slated to be sentenced this June in connection with the death of 41-year-old Braden Jockmyhn, an employee of the Golden Life ADHC Center on University Avenue.

Prosecutors alleged Corona tested positive for fentanyl and methamphetamine following the crash and that both those drugs were found inside his totaled vehicle.

According to Lt. Greg Runge of the La Mesa Police Department, Corona was headed east at about 5:30 p.m. on July 28, 2021, when his vehicle veered off the roadway, crossed a sidewalk and smashed into the building.

Jockmyhn was pronounced dead at the scene and Corona was hospitalized for a broken back.

He was arrested following an "extensive follow-up investigation" by La Mesa police and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office DUI Homicide Team, Runge said.

In addition to the manslaughter count, Corona also pleaded guilty Tuesday to DUI causing injury and other counts related to the possession, transportation and sale of controlled substances.

— City News Service