Drunk Driver Charged With Murdering UCI Graduates, Student: OCDA

IRVINE, CA — The shriek of metal and slam of a high speed collision shocked the neighborhood of Harvard ad Michelson on the first day of July. The vehicle was driving at speeds in excess of 85 miles per hour, Jeremy Wayne Greenwood, a resident of Rialto, was the allegedly intoxicated driver behind the wheel.

As Greenwood had a prior DUI conviction, he was advised a future DUI resulting in death could be charged with murder. Greenwood was taken into custody on Wednesday after a five month investigation. He was arrested at his Rialto home and charged with the DUI murder of three young Orange County residents, and is being held on $2 million bail.

"Greenwood is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol at approximately 86-miles-per-hour northbound on Harvard in Irvine," Michelle Van Der Linden, spokesperson for the Orange County District Attorney's office said. According to the investigation that followed, he ran a red light at Harvard and Michelson, and struck the victims' car that carried four passengers, heading westbound on Michelson.

"The victim's car rotated and traveled over the sidewalk on Harvard, then came to rest next to a hedge," Van Der Linden said.

The 3 a.m. crash took the lives of three people, two University of California Irvine graduates and a third, a student at that institution. Irvine police responded to the scene and pronounced 23-year-old Kasean Herrera and 24-year-old Jeremy Shankling dead at the scene, according to release.

"The victims were best friends, and UCI graduates working as software engineers," Van Der Linden said. "Shankling worked as an IT Developer with the Orange County District Attorney's Office."

A third victim, student London Thibodeaux, died of complications from the collision four days later, and the fourth unnamed victim suffered a traumatic brain injury, incurred multiple surgeries and was in a medically induced coma following the collision.

Greenwood is charged with three counts of murder, DUI causing bodily injury, a blood alcohol content of over .08% causing injury, and great bodily injury. If he receives maximum sentence, he could serve 51 years to life in state prison.

The next scheduled arraignment is Dec. 21 in Santa Ana.

Renee Schiavone Photo