An Idaho Falls man who was involved in a car crash that killed another driver in April has been charged with vehicular manslaughter.
Stephen Vance, 38, told police he was driving home on North River Road at 7:37 p.m. on April 29 when he swerved into oncoming traffic.
Vance, who was driving north in a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado, reportedly crashed into a 2015 Buick Verano driven by Juan Silerio, 37, who was driving south. The crash caused both cars to go into a ditch on the western side of the road.
Silerio’s family had just held a funeral for his brother, 36-year-old Roman Silerio, who had died from heart problems.
Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene, where emergency medical responders had already declared Silerio dead.
Vance told deputies he had been trying to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting a dog in the road.
The deputies reported that they smelled alcohol on Vance’s breath while interviewing him at the scene.
“When Stephen was asked how much he had to drink, he looked down and shook his head no,” one of the deputies wrote in the probable cause affidavit.
Vance allowed deputies to take a sample of his blood. A sample was also taken from Silerio’s body after he was transferred to a funeral home. A lab analysis by Idaho State Police determined Vance’s blood-alcohol content was 0.185, more than twice the legal limit to drive.
Vance was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with a broken ankle and minor head injuries.
Security footage from a nearby house recorded the crash. The affidavit states it showed Vance’s truck swerving east off of the road. Vance then reportedly swerved west to get back on the road, driving into the oncoming lane and crashing into Silerio’s car. No dog was seen in the security footage.
A witness told deputies Vance had passed him before the crash and was driving at between 60 and 65 mph in a 50 mph zone. A crash scene investigator with the sheriff’s office also estimated based on the security footage that Vance was traveling 65 mph when he crashed.
Vance was charged with vehicular manslaughter, punishable with up to 10 years in prison. His bond was set at $50,000.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 7 in Bonneville County Court.
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