POWAY, Calif. — A 19-year-old man was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with a February car crash in Poway that killed a father and son. The incident involving two cars happened the evening of Feb. 12 in the 15000 block of Espola Road.
The 54-year-old driver of one vehicle died at the scene and was later identified as Steve Pirolli. His teenage son, later identified as 13-year-old Stephen Pirolli, was taken to Rady Children's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the other car, Donald Lee Farmer, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following the crash. .
Though authorities initially did not believe that intoxication played a role in the collision, accident investigators decided otherwise following an "extensive reconstruction of the incident," sheriff's Capt. David Schaller said.
"Based on their investigation, they determined Farmer was (allegedly) driving under the influence of drugs and had been driving recklessly," Schaller said.
Following the crash, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept. said the 19-year old was driving a Mercedes Benz when he t-boned the driver’s side of Pirolli’s car as the father turned left from the parking lot at Poway High.
Farmer is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of drugs causing bodily injury and driving without a license. He is being held at San Diego Central Jail on $250,000 bail.
A GoFundMe page was set up in February to support the Pirolli family.
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