Amador County – The Calaveras County District Attorney announced Tuesday that a guilty plea had been entered in a DUI-related vehicular manslaughter case that occurred in July 2010 in which a man driving under the influence of alcohol caused the death of his father in a Calaveras County vehicle accident.

On Monday, Feb. 7, the “defendant Matthew Ryan Thein pled guilty in the Calaveras County Superior Court to vehicular manslaughter” and he also “admitted violating his probation in three other cases,” said Calaveras District Attorney Barbara M. Yook, adding that Thein faces an 11-year prison sentence.

Thein’s father, Michael G. Thein and Karen Lundy died on July 28, 2010, when the van that Matthew Thein was driving crashed while he was under the influence of alcohol. Thein allowed the van to cross the center dividing line and crashed into an oncoming vehicle on Gold Strike Road near San Andreas. Yook said “also suffering serious injuries in the crash were Leah Montoya and her daughter.” During an investigation following the crash, “Thein was found to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.”

District Attorney Yook said “in a plea agreement, Matthew Thein pled guilty to vehicular manslaughter and admitted causing injury to multiple victims. Thein also admitted violating his probation conditions in three other cases where he had been granted probation for burglary, vandalism and receiving stolen property.”

Thein’s case will return to Calaveras Superior court on March 14, for a probation department report and for sentencing.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.