A UCSB student who killed a northern California high school student in 2002 while driving drunk is in custody facing his second DUI charge.

Twenty-one-year-old Brian Ricks was arrested for the second time on Jan. 28, 2007 after allegedly crashing his car into a tree in Isla Vista and violating the terms of his parole in the process. Ricks was recently extradited to Santa Clara County – where he was charged with his first DUI. He is currently staying at Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, awaiting his April 9 sentencing.

After leaving a party in Los Gatos 4.5 years ago, Ricks crashed his Chevrolet Tahoe into a telephone pole, killing one passenger and seriously injuring another. For his first DUI, he was sentenced to a year in juvenile hall, 18 months at a rehabilitation camp and probation until he turned 21. Ricks’ most recent DUI crash came 1.5 months before his 21st birthday.

Ricks had a blood-alcohol content of .26 when he allegedly crashed his car into a tree in an I.V. apartment complex. Residents claimed to see him nearly miss hitting a patrol car while trying to separate his car from the tree.

Ricks failed to tell Santa Barbara County Sheriff officials of his probation status, and was released from jail. Ricks was later extradited to Santa Clara County after Los Gatos officials caught word of his recent DUI.

Ricks’ first DUI rattled the Los Gatos community, and lead to the creation of alcohol and drug free programs for young people. Kellin Dunne, the passenger severely injured in Ricks’ first crash, said in the Mar. 30 Los Gatos Weekly-Times that she was angered by his second charge.

“I feel insulted and disappointed by him,” Dunne said. “He got it easy and he got to go to rehab. He was given every opportunity to succeed. I feel like he was an accident waiting to happen again, which is sad.”

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