A mistrial was declared over whether a driver who plowed his pickup into a packed weekend crowd in downtown Fullerton five years ago was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
An Orange County Superior Court jury deliberated for about a day before telling Judge Gary S. Paer that they could not determine Christopher Solis’ guilt over a single charge of driving while impaired.
The charge stemmed from the chaotic crash in which Solis slammed into a large group of people in Fullerton’s SOCO District shortly before 2 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2019, injuring nine.
The jury’s foreman told Paer they were deadlocked on the DUI charge, 7-5 in favor of guilt. But after four rounds of voting, the jury could not come to a consensus.
The jury, however, did find Solis guilty of three other charges: Hit-and-run causing injuries, hit-and-run causing property damage, and being in possession of a drug.
Solis is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on May 3.
The crash occurred as nearby bars were emptying out and hundreds of patrons filled the sidewalks, waiting for Ubers or Lyfts or friends to pick them up. Dashcam video from a passing car showed Solis’ red 2018 Toyota Tacoma appear to swerve around another car and then out of view, followed by a volley of screams as the pickup veered onto the sidewalk filled with pedestrians, hopped a planter and collided with a palm tree.
Bystanders frantically lifted the pickup off the ground, helping to pull several trapped victims from underneath the vehicle. Angry members of the crowd then pulled Solis from the vehicle and beat him down, kicking and punching him until officers quickly arrived.
Some victims who took the stand to testify recalled headlights bearing down moments before they were struck, or the fear of being trapped under the pickup. Others remembered nothing of the collision, just waking up confused and panicked in hospital rooms. Some grew emotional during their testimony, as they…
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