MILLCREEK, Utah — The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has dropped charges against a man originally accused of driving drunk and causing the death of a mother and daughter in August.
Manases Vicente Castillo was charged in October with driving under the influence and automobile homicide after police said he collided with a parked pickup truck while driving intoxicated early in the morning on Aug. 17. A woman and her 16-year-old daughter were sleeping in the bed of the pickup at the time. The teen died at the scene and the mother died one month later.
However, authorities now say he did not cause the pair’s deaths.
“Based on the information we had at the time of the filing, we believed that Mr. Castillo was responsible for the accident. Additional information shows that he was not the at-fault driver in the case, but another individual will be charged imminently,” a statement from the district attorney’s office read.
New charges have been filed against Juan Sebastian Daza Monsalve after police say they tested the blood found on the steering wheel, steering wheel airbag and driver’s side interior and matched it to Monsalve, who was also found to be intoxicated after the crash.
