Man, 24, Accused of Causing Crash That Killed Four Pleads Not Guilty

A man who allegedly drove under the influence and caused a crash on the 163 in Kearny Mesa that left four dead pleaded not guilty Tuesday to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and other charges.

Aleim Garcia Alavez, 24, of San Marcos, is accused in the predawn Friday crash on the southbound 163, near the 805 in Kearny Mesa.

The collision took place shortly before 1:30 a.m. Friday, when a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck reportedly driven by Alavez rear-ended a Toyota Prius, causing it to veer out of control and crash, ejecting the four victims.

The men who were killed were all in their twenties. They were identified by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office as Faruk Cetin, 27; Mahsun Dursun, 23; Abdurrezak Hizmali, 27; and Baris Savas, 25. Information on where the victims lived was not available.

Alavez faces up to 16 years in state prison if convicted of all charges, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. He remains in custody on $1 million bail as of Tuesday afternoon. If he makes bail, he will have to enroll in continuous alcohol monitoring within 72 hours of release, the D.A.’s office said.

City News Service contributed to this report.