Charges Filed Against Suspect In Crash That Severed Legs Of 2 Men Outside Strip Club
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A Paramount man was charged with drunk driving in connection with a crash outside a strip club that severed the legs of two men.
Terrence Conrad Meeks, 40, is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon on one count of driving under the influence causing injury and one count of driving with .08 percent blood alcohol causing injury. The complaint also includes a special allegation that more than one person was injured.
Prosecutors want Meeks' bail to be set at $160,000.
Meeks allegedly rammed his BMW into the men, pinning them against a parked Mini Cooper after leaving Sam's Hofbrau strip club at about 3:30 a.m.
The incident was initially investigated as a hate crime because of reports that Meeks, who is African American, made racial comments to the two victims, who are Hispanic. Prosecutors said there was no evidence the incident was the result of a hate crime.
One victim had both legs severed below the knee, Deputy District Attorney John Gilligan said. The second victim's right leg was crushed and had to be amputated. Both men remain hospitalized.
If convicted on all the charges, Meeks faces up to five years in state prison.
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