San Francisco man pleads guilty in crash that killed man, paralyzed girl

A 25-year-old San Francisco man faces more than 30 years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to 14 felony charges related to a crash on Highway 121 last year that killed a man and paralyzed a 5-year-old girl, the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office said.

Damodar Chandradas was speeding on Highway 121 near Meadowlark Lane on Oct. 29 when he tried to make a pass on a blind curve at high speed, lost control of his 1997 Jaguar and swerved into traffic, colliding head-on with another vehicle, investigators said.

Two people in the second car — Gustavo Adolfo Mejia, 26, and his young daughter, a student at Cherry Valley school in Petaluma — suffered severe injuries. Mejia's daughter's spinal cord was severed and she is permanently paralyzed.

Sergei Beoglozan, a passenger in Chandradas' car, died shortly after the crash.

Chandradas, who was driving on a suspended license, was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time of the accident, according to the District Attorney's Office.

'This is a deeply sad and tragic event that has forever devastated the lives of the victims, their families and the surrounding community,' Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said. 'The defendant's grossly reckless actions of driving after consuming drugs and alcohol have resulted in a lost life and a little girl that will never walk again. Driving under the influence will simply not be tolerated in Sonoma County.'

Chandradas' charges include gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence causing great bodily injury and paralysis, and transporting methamphetamine and cocaine for the purposes of sales while carrying a loaded firearm.

He faces a maximum punishment of 31 years in state prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16.