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Convicted of manslaughter at the Oceano Dunes, no jail time

October 31, 2019

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A Yuba City man who killed another person while driving under the influence of alcohol at the Oceano Dunes in June, will avoid more time behind bars despite pleading no contest to manslaughter this week. [Tribune]

On June 22, Oscar Renteria Corchado, 35, was driving an off-road vehicle in an area of the park known as Sand Highway 12, which is located on an approximately 35-foot dune. Renteria Corchado was traveling northbound at a speed of about 20 to 30 mph, heading up the face of the dune.

Renteria Corchado’s vehicle went airborne at the top of the dune and struck the helmet of Shawn Josef Imlig, 37, according to state parks. Imlig was pronounced dead at the scene.

State park rangers arrested Renteria Corchado for DUI causing injury and vehicular manslaughter. The rangers who investigated the crash said the primary collision factors were alcohol use and unsafe speeds.

But in August, SLO County prosecutors charged Renteria Corchado with a single count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Prosecutors opted not to charge Renteria Corchado with driving under the influence of alcohol, despite him being arrested for DUI.

On Monday, Renteria Corchado pleaded no contest to the vehicular manslaughter charge, and Judge Tim Covello sentenced him to three years of probation. Renteria Corchado must also complete 300 hours of community service and pay a $500 fine.

Covello also ordered Renteria Corchado not to drive with any alcohol in his system.

Renteria Corchado served two days in jail following his arrest. He received credit for time served.

A restitution determination hearing is scheduled for Jan. 29.

The crash caused by Renteria Corchado accounts for one of six deaths at the Oceano Dunes this year.


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People seem to have become desensitized to the death and destruction at the dunes. Additionally, local law enforcement seem to go lite on penalties involving alcohol; would more severe and appropriate penalties for people who abuse drinking send the wrong message to the tourist contingent?


5

I think the sentence is so lite because their might have been less than .08 alcohol or problems with field sobriety tests possibly done on sand. If they had a good DUI they would have prosecuted it. Other problems are there are no rules of the road on the dunes so hard to prove vehicle code violation. Another issue is riding the dunes is inherently dangerous and “true” accidents are going to happen. It sounds like the D.A. didn’t have much of a case.


6

I own a 4×4 so I can get away from people, not to take it out to the dunes and see how fast I can climb up and over a sand dune and into a crowd of drunk neanderthals from the valley. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for keeping the dunes OHV area open. I’m not one of the bitchy retired people from L.A. who thought they could save a few bucks by buying a new home next to a golf course……on a sand dune. I’ve been to the dunes only twice, both times I wisely chose to be a spectator, rather than a potential victim. To that end; I feel that Mr. Imlig and Mr. Corchado were simply and equally participating in a very primitive game of natural selection. Mr. Imlig lost. The schools these days send home all manner of permission slips and waivers for parents to sign, more or less absolving the schools of any responsibility should their child become the weakest link in the gene pool. Why not here? Basically the state should have all participants sign a waiver acknowledging that they are entering to the coliseum at their own free will, and are not being forced into it by the Romans. Then should you become just another name in the weekly fatality count, you admit that you and the person driving the vehicle in which your skull rapidly decelerated into; were on equal ground (except he was on minute faster over the dune) an no one is at fault


10

BULLSHIT Get drunk and kill a man and get 3 years probation. How about some justice for the victims family? The D.A. chases the couple in the Cantrell scandal and this drunk gets off with a slap on the wrist. This judge should be ashamed to go along with this plea deal. Disgusting!!!!!!


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