A La Grange man who is accused of murder and other charges in connection with a suspected fatal DUI crash on Dec. 26 that killed 17-year-old Lydia Koelzow, of Sonora, will undergo a psychological evaluation to determine whether he’s mentally competent enough to stand trial.
Sebastian Ray Pendergast, who turned 21 on Monday, has been held in custody at the Dambacher Detention Center on $1 million bail since he was arrested March 11 at his home on suspicion of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of alcohol causing great bodily injury.
Pendergast appeared in Tuolumne County Superior Court on Tuesday wearing a neck brace and black-and-white striped jail clothes as his attorney, Public Defender Scott Gross, declared a doubt about his competency due to potential traumatic brain injuries from the crash.
The wreck took place the night after Christmas off Highway 132 near Don Pedro Reservoir.
A news release from California Highway Patrol stated that Pendergast was driving a 2008 Subaru Outback west on Highway 132 at a high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a turn in the roadway and crashed head-on with a tree.
Koelzow was the right-front passenger in the Outback and died at the scene from her injuries. Pendergast was severely injured and flown by helicopter to University of California Davis Medical Center for medical treatment.
The CHP said at the time that it was investigating the cause of the crash and had not yet determined whether alcohol or drugs had played a role.
Public court records show that the county District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against Pendergast on Feb. 16 charging him with murder due to a prior DUI conviction from 2022, as well as gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and two counts of DUI causing injury, all of which are listed as felonies.
The complaint stated Pendergast’s blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was 0.145%, nearly twice the legal limit.
Pendergast previously pleaded guilty on May 19, 2022, to misdemeanor DUI and signed what’s called a “Watson advisement,” which states he could be charged with murder or manslaughter if he kills anyone in the future while driving intoxicated, according to court records.
Pendergast has yet to enter a plea in the pending case. He will next be evaluated by Dr. Luigi Piciuccio, a Sacramento-based clinical psychologist, which could take up to six weeks.
Superior Court Judge Donald Segerstrom scheduled the next hearing for May 10 to consider Piciuccio’s report on Pendergast’s mental condition.
Gross said in court on Tuesday that he had received medical records from Pendergast’s family and asked if they could be submitted to Piciuccio for the evaluation. Segerstrom advised that Gross should seek a medical release from his client for Piciuccio to get the records directly from the hospital.
Assistant District Attorney Eric Hovatter also said in court that he had received medical records from UC Davis that covered Pendergast’s injuries and treatment received between Dec. 26 and Feb. 7.
Several people attended the hearing and left immediately after it was over, but declined to comment.
An obituary for Koelzow published in The Union Democrat on Jan. 12 stated that she had attended Belleview Elementary School, Sonora High and Ted Bird High prior to her death. She was expected to graduate from high school early, and her family had been busy making plans and preparing for her future.
The obituary stated Koelzow’s father, William, was “so proud of the beautiful, smart and sassy young woman his daughter was becoming and was so excited to see her transition into adulthood.”
“We are so happy that she was able to enjoy cozy times relaxing at home, cuddling with her beloved pets, traveling to beautiful places, being the best photographer at our wedding, and knowing that she was her dad’s greatest joy and accomplishment,” Koelzow’s obituary stated.
