Crime & Safety

Laguna Doctor Charged in Fatal High-Speed Crash

Robert McFarland Pettis, 48, faces a maximum of nine years and eight months in prison for a high-speed crash in Laguna Beach that claimed the lives of Alberto Casique, 47, and Armando Gonzalez, 38.

A Laguna Beach doctor will be arraigned Monday in connection with a high-speed, head on crash that killed two men, the Orange County district attorney's office reported.

Robert McFarland Pettis, 48, Laguna Beach, is charged with two felony counts of
vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, one felony count of driving the wrong way on a divided highway causing death and sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily harm, prosecutors reported.

If convicted Pettis faces a maximum sentence of nine years and eight months in state prison.

The charges against Pettis stem from a crash that occurred about 6:40 a.m. on April 2. Authorities allege Pettis was driving his Tesla Model S at an excessive speed northbound on State Route 133/Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach. According to prosecutors, Pettis is accused of crossing over the double lines into the southbound lanes into oncoming traffic and crashing head-on into a Honda Accord, killing its driver 47- year-old driver Alberto Casique, his 38-year-old passenger Armando Gonzalez.

Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene due to vehicular blunt force trauma, authorities reported.

Pettis will be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.

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