Trial delayed for Antioch man accused of fatal DUI crash
MARTINEZ — A freeze on criminal trials over COVID-19 has forced the delay of a trial over a 2018 fatal car crash.
Antioch resident Willie Dave Hamlin, 48, was scheduled to go on trial on April 20 in the crash that killed Giovanni Vasquez, 19, also of Antioch. Hamlin was charged with vehicular manslaughter in Vasquez’s death.
The Nov. 11, 2018 crash happened at around 9:30 p.m., on Highway 4, near the Willow Pass Road exit. Witnesses told police that Hamlin was driving eastbound at a high speed when he lost control of his Chevrolet Chevelle, spun out, and struck two other cars.
Vasquez, who was driving a Mitsubishi, was seriously injured and died at the site of the crash. Police found Hamlin lying on the ground about 10 feet away from where his Chevrolet came to a rest, according to investigators.
Police say Hamlin displayed “objective signs” of being intoxicated, like bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. A blood test showed that he had nearly three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system, court records allege.
Hamlin posted bail and is out of jail awaiting trial or resolution in his case. A new trial date has not yet been set.