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Drunk driver allegedly hit, killed homeless man in San Luis Obispo

March 4, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

A 21-year-old alleged drunk driver crashed into a homeless encampment in San Luis Obispo late Saturday night, killing one man and injuring another, according to the CHP.

Shortly before midnight, Jace Haro was driving northbound on Highway 101 near Prado Road when he lost control of his Dodge Challenger, hit a light pole and then struck two people in the encampment. A 45-year-old man died at the scene from blunt force trauma. His name is not being released pending notification of his next of kin.

A second victim, 52-year-old Christopher Brasket, suffered minor injuries. Haro suffred moderate injuries.

Officers arrested Haro on three felony charges: vehicular manslaughter and two counts of drunk driving.

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As of March 5, this morning, encampment is still there. What the heck?


5

Update! Driving back south through SLO, Caltrans completely cleared encampment. Thank you California for proactively clearing encampments from freeways. Now let’s push for riverbed clearing of the polluting encampments.


2

In addition to the innumerable vegetation fires in this area, there have been numerous cases of homeless pedestrians and cyclists being struck by vehicles on U.S. 101 and the on/offramps between L.O.V.R and Madonna Road in the last 30 years.


19

Drunk driver guilty of manslaughter? Check.

Local politicians allowing homeless encampments? Check.

Local judge soft-on-crime sentance? Probably.

Repeat performance just around corner? Absolutely?


17

A drunk driver killed someone and people are blaming the victim. What is wrong with people?


3

It does not matter who was or what the man killed was doing. The driver was drunk and should not have been behind the wheel of a vehicle. He deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law. End of story!


23

There are people camped there in the grass between the offramp and the highway…not a safe situation


31

This is why homeless encampments along the right of way property owned by the state near the highway should not be allowed. It is too dangerous for both the homeless and the drivers. Encampments near the highways have been kind of overlooked by Cal Trans with a blind eye as some sort of grey area – They are dangerous not only to the occupants of said homeless encampments who could be hit by an accident or a drunk driver, but also to the drivers who might run into an intoxicated homeless person who wonders onto the road or is crossing the road (I have seen it several times) and maybe cause a larger accident on the highway.


With the City of SLO clamping down a bit harder on public use homeless encampments in city parks and public areas, it seems like more of them have sprouted up along 101, and now we have a dead homeless person. There is a massive one near the Broad St. north bound 101 exit I couldn’t believe last time I drove by there.


I did a quick search on the name of the man who had minor injuries, and it turns out he has a long wrap sheet from both Paso and Santa Barbara Counties- in fact very long. Substances etc.


It’s not safe for him, the person that was killed, or the drivers of our Highway system for Caltrans to allow these encampments to exist. The state needs to take serious action and sanction some government land as favelas or sanctioned homeless camps in safer areas with access to the basics.


24

The Govenor made it legal to camp on state right of ways so law enforcement could not remove homeless people. The blood on his hands is still wet, the ink on his signature is dry.


0

Not surprising. It was bound to happen. Too many homeless individuals making stupid decisions, like camping next to a busy freeway.


“Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”


2