Suspect in deadly Fresno County DUI crash pleads not guilty

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A man with three prior DUI charges entered a not-guilty plea after being charged with murder in a fourth drunk driving incident.

35-year-old Ryan Trevino is charged with second-degree murder in a January 13th crash that killed 78-year-old John Michael Tarter.

In a wheelchair and recovering from his injuries, Trevino made his first appearance in court on Tuesday.

He had his first hearing in his hospital bed at Community Regional Medical Center after having emergency surgery following the collision.

Along with the second-degree murder charge, he is also charged with felony driving under the combined influence of alcohol and a drug, causing great bodily injury.

This is his fourth DUI charge. He was convicted in 2007 and 2019 and has a pending case from October 2023.

Trevino had appeared in court for the October case just four days before the crash that killed Tarter.

On January 9th, he was ordered by a judge to stay off the roads and away from alcohol and then released on his own recognizance.

The California Highway Patrol says he was under the influence when he veered into oncoming traffic on Millerton Road near Marina Drive, slamming head-on into a Toyota Tundra carrying Tarter and a passenger.

Tarter died before he could be flown to a hospital, his passenger was hospitalized with major injuries, their condition is unknown at this time.

Trevino has another hearing scheduled for the October DUI on March 5.

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