Aaron Corn, an 18-year old Pacific Grove resident, crashed into a car in 2010 and paralyzed Chelsie Hill. He received a seven-year prison sentence for the drunken driving crash, but an appeals court overturned his conviction, finding that he was not at fault and was eligible for probation. Judge Russell Scott said he never took probation off the table and that he was bound by the court’s resentencing order.
A sentence of two to three year may be appropriate in certain cases, but the court must also consider other factors such as criminal history and whether the defendant is eligible for parole. In the case of Corn, Hill spoke up on his behalf in an interview with KSBW in 2011. While KSBW reported that Hill was too emotional to give a fair interview, the case has captivated many in the community.
Witnesses claim that Corn’s vehicle had only five seats. Hill was seated in the middle of the back seat. Corn allegedly told Hill that he could not stop the vehicle because he was distracted by beer pong. Witnesses claim that he crossed the double center line and then overcorrected and hit a tree. The car was seized without bail and Corn’s mother attended the hearing on Tuesday.
Hill was 18 years of age and a senior at Pacific Grove High School on the day of the accident. She was a passenger in a Toyota 4Runner, driven by Aaron Corn. Hill sustained serious injuries in the accident. Aaron Corn was convicted for DUI and reckless driving. The jury determined that Corn was at least five percent at fault and that Hill used a lap belt. While Corn was convicted of the charges, Hill’s injuries were so severe that she could not walk after the accident.
In addition to being charged with drunk driving, he faces numerous other charges. In addition to the DUI charges, he was also arrested for auto theft. According to a Monterey police officer, the crash occurred in a residential area. Corn and the teens fled Veloz’s home without permission from their parents after the crash. The Toyota 4Runner crashed in the skyline forest near Monterey, causing one of the passengers to become paralyzed from the waist down.