A Santa Maria man who allegedly caused a deadly head-on vehicle collision in May had more than twice the amount of alcohol in his blood than what is legally deemed too impaired to drive, according to a criminalist with the California Department of Justice.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Duffy presented witnesses for the prosecution Friday during the trial of Jose Gonzalez, 27, who is charged with three felony counts stemming from a crash on May 9 in the Santa Maria Valley that resulted in the death of Santa Maria resident Walter Williams, 83.

Gonzalez is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or greater causing great bodily injury and driving under the influence causing great bodily injury.

The jury trial started Thursday afternoon in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria.

Gonzalez, who speaks Spanish, is aided by a court interpreter during the trial.

Wanwalai Charoenchote, a criminalist with the California Department of Justice, testified that a blood sample reportedly taken from Gonzalez at the scene of the crash indicated he had a blood alcohol level of .20. The blood alcohol level at which everyone is too impaired to drive safely is .08, she said.

Gonzalez’s attorney, Adrian Andrade, questioned Charoenchote about the vial of blood used for the test, which she said had another last name written on it that was crossed out and inscribed with “Gonzalez.”

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California Highway Patrol Officer Robert Miller later testified that he watched Gonzalez have his blood drawn at the crash scene, and that the defendant in court was the same man whose blood was taken.

Miller said another officer provided him with the incorrect name, a mistake that was later corrected.

CHP Officer Michael Mallory said that he was the first officer to arrive at the scene of the collision on Betteravia Road about a mile east of Highway 101, and saw Williams’ vehicle on its side. Williams was dead.

The CHP has said that Gonzalez was traveling westbound on Betteravia around 9:30 p.m. when his Chevy Blazer crossed the center line and went into the path of Wil-liams’ eastbound Chevy pickup.

Mallory said he was approached by the passenger in Gonzalez’s vehicle, who said he was Gonzalez’s nephew. The boy said that they were headed for Santa Maria when the vehicle Gonzalez was driving drifted into the opposing lane and the collision happened.

The boy said he thought his uncle had been drinking “a lot,” Mallory testified.

Officials have said that the 14-year-old boy suffered minor injuries in the collision. Gonzalez was seriously injured.

Dr. Robert Anthony, the forensic pathologist for the county Sheriff’s Department, said that he examined Williams’ body, and found that he suffered hemorrhages, fractures, lacerations and abrasions in the crash. He died because of multiple blunt force trauma, Anthony said.

December 20, 2008