by Rob Nagle
The Daly City man who pleaded no contest in June to a fatal DUI hit-and-run was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in state prison, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.The May 2013 crash killed three people, including the man's girlfriend.
About 7 a.m. May 27, 2013, Paul Diaz, 26, was behind the wheel of his green Ford Mustang with three passengers -- Ruvin Abel Vazquez, Jonathan Jade Mouton and Rosa Maria Falla, all Daly City residents and in their 20s -- and reportedly driving in excess of 90 mph on Hillside Boulevard in Colma when he struck another vehicle and lost control of the Mustang and slammed into a retaining wall, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
The Mustang was sheared in half and all three passengers were killed, Wagstaffe said. Diaz was able to pull himself out of the Mustang and walk over to his girlfriend, who was dead. He then took off running.
Diaz turned himself in to police about five hours later, Wagstaffe said.
He also had a prior misdemeanor drunken driving conviction.
In June, Diaz pleaded no contest to the charges on condition of no more than 15 years in state prison, Wagstaffe said.
During his sentencing, Diaz maintained that he never drove faster than 45 mph and that he was not intoxicated at the time of the accident. He also seemed to show no remorse for his actions, Wagstaffe said.
Prosecutors wanted Diaz to receive the maximum of 20 years in prison. And although the judge was critical of Diaz’s conduct and attitude, she declined to go above the sentence she had given at the time of the plea deal.
Diaz has remained in custody on $1 million bail. He was denied probation and sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in state prison with credit for 873 days of time served.
Diaz is also required to pay more than $26,000 in restitution and fines, Wagstaffe said.