San Mateo man convicted in police chase crash that killed passenger

(KRON) — A San Mateo man who led police on a high-speed pursuit through Daly City before crashing head-on into another car on Interstate 280 was convicted Friday of vehicular manslaughter. His passenger, a woman whom prosecutors said he had just met that night, was killed in the 2023 collision.

Adrian Dewitt Marcel Watson, now 20 years old, was also found guilty by a San Mateo County jury of fleeing a police officer resulting in death, hit and run resulting in injury, hit and run property damage and trespassing. Jurors deadlocked 11-1 on resisting arrest and 8-4 on a hit and run enhancement. Watson was found not guilty of second-degree murder.

Watson was stopped by a Daly City Police Department officer on Jan. 6, 2023, at 1:45 a.m. for expired registration. In the middle of the officer contacting Watson and his passenger, 18-year-old Jennifer Bautista Amezcua, Watson fled and sparked a high-speed police pursuit, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

During the chase, Watson drove over 80 mph through stoplights and stop signs before turning onto I-280 in the wrong direction, prosecutors said. Pursuing police terminated the chase due to safety concerns.

While traveling the wrong way on the freeway, Watson crashed head-on into another car. Bautista Amezcua was killed in the crash. The driver of the uninvolved vehicle that Watson struck survived with a fractured spine, according to prosecutors.

Sentencing is set to be scheduled for Watson on Monday.