The driver who allegedly hit and killed a San Luis Obispo couple in November now faces two counts of vehicular manslaughter after he was arrested on Feb. 27.

Daniel Angel Saligan Patricio, 24, is accused of fatally hitting Matthew Chachere, 39, and Jennifer Besser, 36, on Nov. 21 as they walked their dog around 6 p.m. near Sacramento Drive.

• File Photo By Camillia Lanham
• CHARGED On Feb. 27, police arrested the 24-year-old man who fatally hit a San Luis Obispo couple with his car in November. He faces felony manslaughter charges.

In a Feb. 27 case update, SLO Police Department officials said that Patricio "either did not know or failed to notify police that he may have struck two people and a dog" when authorities first responded to the crash. The victims were found late the next day under "heavy brush" near the accident site.

Following a three-month investigation that required a "complex accident reconstruction," police said they arrested Patricio at his place of employment on Feb. 27. He was booked into county jail on two felony gross vehicular manslaughter charges, with bail set at $200,000. He remained in custody as of March 1.

According to SLO police, the department's criminal investigation found that "Patricio sped through a curve near the 3400 block of Sacramento Drive, lost control of the vehicle, and struck and killed" the victims. Drugs or alcohol were not noted as factors.

"The investigative reports indicate that the force of the impact of the collision knocked the couple into the adjacent wooded area and down into a dry creek bed where they remained undetected in the darkness and vegetation," the case update stated.

Patricio was arraigned in court on March 1, but the hearing ran past New Times' press time. Vehicular manslaughter is defined in the penal code as "the unlawful killing of a human being without malice" while driving unlawfully and with gross negligence.

If convicted on both counts, Patricio faces up to 12 years in prison.

In a public statement, SLO Police Chief Rick Scott thanked the community for its patience during the investigation, "while we worked towards providing important answers to family members and our community in ultimate pursuit of justice."

"We have been in close communication and supported the families of the victims throughout this difficult process," Scott said, "and hope that they get the justice they seek and the closure they need." Δ