An 18-year-old San Jose woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony charges related to an alleged DUI crash that killed her passenger last weekend, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Natasha Leodjaja pleaded not guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence, and causing great bodily injury in the crash that killed her passenger, 18-year-old Silvia Chalista.
Prosecutors say that at about 3:15 a.m. Sunday, Leodjaja was behind the wheel of a 2018 Audi sedan heading south on Highway 101 near Whipple Avenue in Redwood City when she veered off the road.
The car went down an embankment, flew into the air and crashed into a light pole and two trees before coming to a stop on its roof, according to prosecutors. Chalista died at the scene.
Leodjaja, who was injured, was taken to a hospital where her blood was taken to test for alcohol.
She was also given an alcohol breath test that allegedly revealed she had a blood-alcohol level of between .06 and .07, according to prosecutors.
It is illegal to drive in California with a blood-alcohol level that is .08 or above, but prosecutors said Leodjaja had “objective symptoms of intoxication and indicated she had consumed ‘lots of shots’ at a party in San Francisco.”
Her preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. May 4 and bail was set at $100,000 on the conditions that she surrender her passport, wear an alcohol detection device and refrain from consuming alcohol and drugs, prosecutors said.
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