Irvine man charged in passenger’s death after crash

An Irvine man is facing a possible 10 years in prison for allegedly driving drunk and causing the death of a female passenger when the car they were in flipped over, according to charges filed by the Orange County District Attorney’s office Thursday.

Colin Selsted, 27, was driving a Volkswagen hatchback along Shady Canyon Drive when the car swerved off the road near Cloverfield, rolled down a hill and stopped when it hit a concrete wall about 11 p.m. Monday, according to authorities.

Selsted suffered minor injuries but his passenger, Devon Williams, 23, of Newport Beach was taken to a local trauma center after firefighters cut through the car to rescue her, authorities said.

Williams died at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana just after 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Orange County coroner’s office.

The same day, police arrested Selsted, who had been drinking at a restaurant and at a friend’s homebeforeleaving with Williams, prosecutors said.

“At the time of the collision, he displayed objective symptoms of intoxication,” Irvine police spokeswoman Farrah Emami said.

Selsted had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.17% about two hours after the crash, prosecutors said.

He was in Orange County Jail on Thursday with bail set at $100,000, according to Sheriff’s Department records.

Selsted pleaded not guilty Thursday to one felony count each of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury and driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more causing bodily injury.

He also faces sentencing enhancements for driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.15% or more and inflicting great bodily injury.