San Diego Resident Gets Four Years for DUI Vehicular Manslaughter

 San Diego resident Long Xu was sentenced to four years and four months in prison for killing fellow car passenger and victim Jiani Cheng while he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

Twenty-one year old Xu pleaded guilty in court for driving while intoxicated and for causing great bodily harm to Cheng. Xu’s defense attorney, Victor Orsatti, asked the court that his client receive probation. Orsatti argued that his client was “not a drinker and had five or six small glasses of beer at a karaoke bar before the crash. "This is a tragic situation," Orsatti said. "He (Xu) has led a tremendous life." It was stated in court that Xu had a blood alcohol content of .10% after the tragedy however it turned out to be .08 when he was retested. At the time of the accident, a witness said the Xu’s car had flipped on the northbound 11th Avenue onramp on Interstate 5 while going 60 mph.

According to Xu’s mother, she explained that she and her husband divorced two years ago and the divorce has affected her son. The other passenger in Xu’s vehicle was Guozhen Yu. Yu explained that Xu did well in school and that Xu helped him with his English.

The victim’s aunt and uncle appeared in court on behalf of their niece to watch justice be served since the victim’s parents live in China. Derek Grilz, Deputy District Attorney explained that this tragedy was “avoidable” if Xu had not made the choice to get behind the wheel after drinking.Man Who Caused fatal DUI Crash that Killed Female Passenger Sentenced to Prison Term, San Diego CBS 8 News, August 12, 2011