Stanford MBA Pleads Not Guilty To Vehicular Manslaughter

Stanford MBA student Zachary Katz

A first-year MBA student at Stanford Graduate School of Business today (Nov. 12) pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges related to a fatal wrong-way crash on U.S. Highway 101 in South San Francisco last month, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

Zachary Katz, 24, has been charged with one count of vehicular manslaughter and two counts of felony drunk driving causing great bodily injury in connection with the Oct. 5 crash that killed 62-year-old Pedro Juan Soldevilla of Puerto Rico, Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti said.

Katz had a blood alcohol content of around .15 when he drove the wrong way onto southbound Highway 101 near Sierra Point Parkway at 3:50 a.m., according to police records. He crashed into an SUV taxi, which veered across several lanes and was struck by a Mazda, the police added.

AN EJECTED PASSENGER IN A CAB DIED IN THE ACCIDENT

Soldevilla, who had been a passenger in the cab, was ejected and died at the scene. Another passenger and the taxi driver were seriously injured. The driver of the Mazda was not injured.

Katz suffered several broken bones and was hospitalized for four days before he was arrested and booked at San Mateo County Jail.

He remains out of custody on $250,000 bail, though the district attorney is requesting an increase in bail at a hearing scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m. in San Mateo County Superior Court.

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