A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who pleaded no contest to charges arising from an off-duty crash in Torrance faces sentencing on Friday. The incident, which occurred on July 8, 2020, resulted in the death of his 23-year-old passenger, Ashley Wells, and serious injuries to two other individuals in the vehicle.
The defendant, Daniel Manuel Auner, now 25 years old, has been convicted of voluntary manslaughter, gross vehicular manslaughter, and assault with a deadly weapon. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has stated that Auner could be sentenced to 13 years in state prison.
According to the prosecution and defense, Auner’s Dodge Charger was traveling at a speed of at least 71 mph when it crashed into a traffic pole at the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and 190th Street. It was previously reported that Auner was initially charged with murder and reckless driving causing injury, but these charges are expected to be dropped as a result of his plea.
The crash left two individuals in the vehicle with severe injuries, with one of them requiring a 22-day hospitalization and the other being hospitalized for 10 days.
Torrance Police Officer Brooks Wing testified that the crash scene was chaotic, and Auner claimed that he lost control of the vehicle due to being caught off-guard by the road’s curve. The officer reported that there was no smell of alcohol on Auner’s breath and focused on providing medical assistance.
Detective Robert Schuffman, who investigated the crash, observed skid marks spanning 398 feet and determined that Auner was driving at an unsafe speed on a street with a posted speed limit of 45 mph. A blood-alcohol test conducted about 1.5 hours after the crash revealed a content of .077, just below the legal limit for impairment.
The defense argued that Auner had been drinking but was not intoxicated, and that the cause of the crash was solely unsafe speed. However, Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Miyata countered that, as a law enforcement officer, Auner should have been aware of the dangers of drinking and speeding.
Superior Court Judge Alan Honeycutt pointed out that Auner’s occupation gave him specialized training on alcohol and speeding, and the evidence suggested that he was racing another vehicle. The judge also noted that Auner had disengaged the safety systems of his high-performance car, further exacerbating the situation.
Auner was initially held in jail on $1 million bail but was released after his bail was reduced to $100,000. However, he must comply with electronic monitoring and abstain from driving or consuming alcohol. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Auner’s peace officer powers have been suspended since July 2020, and he is currently relieved of duty without pay.
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