Man pleads no contest to 2 felonies in crash that damaged Stella's Sandtrap
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A man who led police on a brief, high-speed chase that ended with a vehicle crashing through the wall of an east Bakersfield bar has pleaded no contest to two felonies.
Manuel Gonzalez, 23, pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges of drunken driving and evading a peace officer causing injury, and is scheduled to be sentenced May 21, according to court records.
He faces six years and eight months in prison, said District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Daniela Gonzaga.
The crash occurred shortly after midnight on June 16, 2024, after police tried to pull over an Audi A4 in the 2000 block of Niles Street for illegally tinted windows.
The Audi sped off and a chase ensued that reached speeds of more than 80 mph, according to court documents filed in the case.
The Audi's lights turned off as it entered the intersection of Niles and Oswell streets on a red light, police said.
It hit a Chevy Suburban traveling north then careened into the parking lot of Stella's Sandtrap — barreling into a parked car and knocking it through a wall.
One patron said the walls shook then the car appeared, hitting her right ankle, right arm and back. Another said she she'd been standing by a table when the wall broke apart and her left leg was struck. A flying piece of wood hit a pool player.
Each complained of pain but declined medical aid, according to the documents.
Two people were transported by Hall Ambulance. One was Gonzalez, who suffered a head injury, documents said. He was medically cleared and taken to jail, where he's been held without bail.
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