BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Alcohol was detected on the breath of a man more than six hours after he was allegedly involved in a deadly head-on collision on Highway 178, according to a court filing.
Tipney Parnell Worthy Jr. displayed signs of impairment when interviewed at Kern Medical and was placed under arrest, wrote California Highway Patrol Officer Christopher McCracken. The filing says Worthy admitted to drinking alcohol the night before.
Worthy, 27, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs causing injury and driving the wrong way on a divided highway causing injury or death. He’s held on $250,000 bail.
According to the CHP, Worthy was driving west on Highway 178 in Onyx at 11:40 a.m. Jan. 29 when his car crossed over double yellow lines and into the eastbound lane. It collided with a pickup, fatally injuring a woman in the truck’s passenger seat.
Worthy and the pickup’s driver were taken to Kern Medical with minor to moderate injuries, officers said. McCracken wrote he found marijuana residue on the driver floorboard of Worthy’s car.
The filing says Worthy voluntarily provided a breath sample at 6:01 p.m. “which displayed the presence of ethyl alcohol.”
