A Huntington Beach man accused of killing a bicyclist while Driving Under the Influence in Newport Beach pleaded not guilty to murder today.
Authorities said Neil Storm Stephany, 23, a self-described drug counselor, kept driving after slamming his truck into Shaun Eagleson, 30 of Fountain Valley, who was riding his bicycle on October 19. Eagleson died at at a nearby hospital that day.
The prosecution’s decision to charge Stephany with murder stemmed from a prior guilty please to a misdemeanor drunk driving charge in 2011. In California, those who repeatedly drive drunk may be charged with murder if they kill someone after their first DUI conviction. Last week, Stephany also pleaded not guilty to felony hit-and-run and felony possession of a controlled substance.
Stephany previous history of drug offenses include: a 2010 guilty plea to felony possession of heroin with intent to sell; and in 2013 a guilty plea to felony assault and possession of a controlled substance.
Stephany’s bail is set at $1 million.
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