Judge Orders Evaluation of Driver in Devil's Slide Fatal Crash

A 24-year-old man on trial for driving his car while drunk and causing a fatal car crash in 2013 was committed to San Quentin State Prison on Friday for a diagnostic evaluation, San Mateo County prosecutors said.

Ryan Riesenberger, of El Cajon, will be brought in front of Judge Leland Davis again on Jan. 8, 2016, for a recommendation on sentencing.

Riesenberger faces a maximum of 7 years, 8 months in state prison.

According to prosecutors, Riesenberger on Nov. 23, 2013, was driving south on Highway 1 at high speeds with three friends after a night of drinking in San Francisco.
He drove at around 80 miles per hour, almost twice the speed limit, near the Devil’s Slide tunnels, prosecutors said. When he lost control and crashed, his front-seat passenger, 23-year-old Sanjeev Joshi of Visalia, was killed, and the other passengers were injured.

Riesenberger’s blood alcohol level was later determined to be 0.12 percent, over the legal limit, prosecutors said.

On July 20, Riesenberger pleaded no contest to felony counts of vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence and drunk driving causing injury. He also admitted a great bodily harm enhancement.

The defendant has been out of custody on $250,000 property bonds, but he was remanded today to begin the 90-day evaluation at San Quentin State Prison.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said the stay isn’t likely to take the full three months. He added that this isn’t an option judges pursue very often.

State-licensed psychologists at San Quentin will conduct interviews with Riesenberger to assist in determining whether prison is appropriate, Wagstaffe said.

The defendant is asking for a probationary period instead of time in state prison.

--Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock