TURLOCK, Calif. — A Turlock man faces up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of killing a driver after speeding through an intersection and leaving the scene.
According to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, a jury found 41-year-old Daniel Allen Coats guilty of killing 55-year-old Jose Manuel Mora. Coats was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit and run, and driving on a suspended license.
The charges were the result of the accident that happened in Turlock in 2018.
According to the district attorney’s office, Mora was driving southbound on Lander Avenue when he attempted to make a U-turn south of the intersection.
Coats was speeding southbound on Lander Avenue at around 80 mph in a 40 mph zone. Video surveillance shows Coats hitting Mora's pickup midway through the U-turn, ripping it in half and separating the truck's cab from the bed.
Mora died after being taken to the hospital.
After hitting Mora, Coats walked away from the scene. A nearby witness said they heard Coats on the phone telling someone to come pick him up. He was picked up by family members but was followed by Turlock police and arrested four blocks away from the crash.
Officers said he showed signs of being intoxicated but Coats refused to provide a blood sample. Officers obtained a warrant for a forced blood draw and tests showed Coats' blood alcohol level was .14, according to the district attorney.
He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years. The district attorney's office says he also has a prior conviction for first-degree burglary. Sentencing is scheduled for August 30.
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