VISTA (CNS) - An Escondido man was convicted by a North County jury of murder for driving drunk and crossing into oncoming traffic on state Route 79, where he fatally struck a motorcyclist.
Eric Randall Cripe, 54, was also convicted Thursday of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI counts for the Aug. 22, 2021, death of Matthew Garrett Mylerberg. Before the jury received the case, Cripe also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor hit-and-run count involving property damage for a crash that happened earlier that day, according to Deputy District Attorney David Uyar.
Mylerberg, a 33-year-old San Diego resident, was struck at around 3:30 p.m. after Cripe's 2002 Toyota Tundra veered into his lane near Aguanga Ranchos Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Cripe's truck drifted off the eastern side of the roadway, then swerved back to the left into a southbound lane, where it collided with an oncoming 1991 Harley-Davidson Sportster, CHP public-affairs Officer Travis Garrow said.
Mylerberg was struck by the passenger side of Cripe's truck and died at the scene of the crash.
Uyar said a breath test taken two and a half hours after the fatal crash showed Cripe had a blood alcohol content of 0.17 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit in California.
Cripe is scheduled for sentencing on June 27.
