Crime Q&A: When is man accused in fatal crash on Highway 50 due back in court?

Q: Can you provide information on Joseph Short’s court appearance for the fatal accident on April 24 on Highway 50?

A: Joseph Anthony Short, 34, is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol as a result of the crash that killed 51-year-old David Condell.

His next court appearance, for a plea, is set for Oct. 13, according to Sacramento Superior Court records available online.

Prosecutors say that Short – the former head chef at Paragary’s restaurant in midtown Sacramento – was behind the wheel of a car that slammed into Condell’s vehicle.

Condell had stopped along the side of Highway 50 to help his wife, whose car had run out of gas. Condell was in his car when Short’s vehicle allegedly crashed into it as Short tried to pass on the roadway shoulder.

The impact of the crash shoved Condell’s car into his wife Tian Condell’s car and sent Short’s vehicle across the highway, where it struck a vehicle traveling east in the far left lane.

In the minutes before the crash, authorities had received calls reporting a car weaving in and out of traffic on Highway 50. Prosecutors said Short’s blood-alcohol content was 0.35 – more than four times the legal limit of 0.08 – at the time of the crash.

Short remains in jail with bail set at $1.5 million.

This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 9:14 PM with the headline "Crime Q&A: When is man accused in fatal crash on Highway 50 due back in court?."