California Marine Charged with Causing Fatal DUI Accident That Killed Three Other Soldiers

A Camp Pendleton Marine was charged with vehicular manslaughter Wednesday after an accident that took the lives of three other Marines who were his friends.

Prosecutors said Jared Ray Hale, 25, was intoxicated at the time of the accident. After three hours of drinking, Hale along with Cpl. Christopher Arzola, 21, Cpl. Jason Chleborad, 22, and Sgt. Jeremiah Callahan, 23, got into Hale’s sedan to leave a bar in Dana Point. As Hale rounded a corner when he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a tree in a center median.

Callahan and Arzola were pronounced dead on the scene. Chelborad was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

Hale also suffered serious injuries which include a traumatic brain injury and a broken arm. Police say his blood alcohol content was two times the legal limit, but his attorney maintains he was not intoxicated. Witnesses at the bar can confirm he was not drinking and the accident was caused by weather.

Hale faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

A highly accomplished DUI attorney will often contest the results of a blood alcohol test, especially if the reading came from a breathalyzer, which can give inaccurate readings.

A DUI indictment has far-reaching effects. It can endanger future employment opportunities, cause a person to lose their license and result in incarceration. A California DWI attorney can help the offender prevent a conviction by building a solid DWI defense.

A person who has been arrested for drunk driving is encouraged to contact a California DUI lawyer immediately to starting working on their case.