Opening Statements Begin in Marine Drunken Driving Trial

Attorneys are expected to make opening statements today in the trial of a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant charged with killing three other Marines in a drunken driving crash in Dana Point.

Jared Ray Hale is charged with driving under the influence causing bodily injury and driving with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit causing bodily injury. He also faces three sentencing enhancement allegations of causing great bodily injury.

Hale was initially charged with three counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, but his attorneys appealed the multiple sentencing enhancements for causing great bodily injury for each count of vehicular manslaughter and obtained a favorable ruling. That prompted prosecutors to refile the charges, but now Hale faces more years behind bars if he is convicted.

The victims were Sgt. Jeremiah Callahan, 23, of Chadron, Nebraska; Cpl. Christopher Arzola, 21, of Westfield, Massachusetts; and Cpl. Jason Chleborad, 22, of Rapid City, South Dakota. All three were data network specialists who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2008.

Hale and his three friends, all of them stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, went to Hennessey’s Tavern in Dana Point the night of Feb. 13, 2012, according to Deputy District Attorney Nancy Hayashida, who filed the charges.

About 1:50 a.m. on Feb. 14, Hale and his friends left the bar and got into a Dodge Stratus, with Hale driving, Hayashida said.

Hale was driving north on Golden Lantern Street in Dana Point when he lost control of the car about 2 a.m. at a curve in the road at Terra Vista,Hayashida said. The car slammed into a tree, killing the three victims.

Callahan and Arzola were pronounced dead at the scene and Chleborad was pronounced dead soon after arriving at Mission Hospital.

Hale was treated for brain trauma and a broken arm, Hayashida said. About 40 minutes after the collision his blood-alcohol level was .175 percent -- or more than twice the legal limit -- and it was just over .16 percent about 90 minutes following the crash, according to Deputy District Attorney Stephen Cornwell.

Callahan and Chleborad served together in Afghanistan from September 2010 to March 2011, according to Camp Pendleton officials.

Callahan earned the Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and NATO ISAF Afghanistan Medal.

Arzola held the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Chleborad earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and NATO ISAF Afghanistan Medal.

—City News Service

Image: Patch file photo