Ashton McKiearnan spent Father's Day with his own father and his family at a home in Clovis.
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The 41-year-old didn't make it back to his own home because a car crossed into oncoming traffic and hit his vehicle head-on.
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Police say Narayana Zerr admitted to being the driver who caused the crash.
He had a blood alcohol content above .15% when he killed McKiearnan and injured the man's wife and two kids.
"Today, Mr. Zerr will be entering a plea of not guilty with a general denial of any enhancements and allegations," said public defender Regina Chessari.
Zerr made his first court appearance Wednesday on charges including gross vehicular manslaughter while driving drunk.
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He has no prior DUIs in Fresno County, but court records show he was cited in 2019 for driving with a suspended or revoked license.
"If he had a suspended license, the DA's going to want to look into why it was suspended," said legal analyst Tony Capozzi. "Was it for a prior DUI?"
Prosecutors are checking Zerr's record in other counties and states to see. A prior DUI would open up the possibility of elevating the charge to murder.
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Capozzi says the case against Zerr seems strong, so a defense attorney would have to look for mistakes in the police investigation.
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He says even the location of the crash - on Ashlan near Sunnyside in the Tarpey Village area - could work against Zerr.
"The fact that this is a residential area makes this even more difficult for the defense which makes more of an argument for a higher sentence in this case," Capozzi said.
Prosecutors say the maximum punishment for the current charges is 16 years in prison.
Zerr will be back in court next week.