LAKE COUNTY — A three-year-old vehicular manslaughter case was back in court for its fifth trial setting Wednesday afternoon. The case had been set for trial at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday before Lake County Superior Court Judge Richard Martin. After much debate, it was continued to Monday at 8:15 in Dept. 3 of the Lake County courthouse.
Sean Thomas Selig, 23, of Upper Lake, is accused of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony hit and run in connection with an October 6, 2004 accident. Selig was allegedly driving a 2001 GMC Sierra truck with passenger Sammy Solario, who died as a result of the accident. The truck hit a parked vehicle on the shoulder of Lakeshore Drive near the Nice-Lucerne cutoff, hit a driveway and overturned, then hit a utility pole while airborne and came to rest on its roof, according to prosecuting deputy district attorney David McKillop.
The Lake County District Attorney”s Office filed charges nearly a year after the accident following an investigation by the CHP. According to prosecuting deputy district attorney David McKillop, the Monday court date will be the trial”s fifth trial setting date.
McKillop told the court that he had received notice of a request to continue the trial on Wednesday, and had not had adequate time to respond.
“This case is a complex case,” McKillop said. “We have witnesses from North Carolina, we have witnesses in L.A., we have witnesses out in Redding, we have witnesses that we can”t find. And the longer this case goes, the more difficult it will be for the people. Terry Solario, the mother of the victim in this case, was almost in tears when I told her the defense had filed this motion.”
Lakeport defense attorney Judy Conard said she had a civil juvenile case that was consuming her time, and asked that the case be continued. Martin said he had a busy calendar as well, and allowed the attorneys to arrive at the Monday date between themselves.
Selig was booked into the Lake County Jail on Aug. 1, 2005 and released on bail four days later. His bail amount was $25,000. If convicted, McKillop said Selig could face a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
