Local News in Brief : Driver Charged With Murder in Fatal Crash

A 25-year-old Sylmar man accused of running a red light at more than 100 miles per hour, killing a 22-year-old passenger in his car, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder.

Sergio Silva, who works for a Chatsworth chemical company, also was charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving in the crash that killed Antonio Pisano of San Fernando at 3:15 a.m. Saturday, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Lisa Kahn.

Silva, who has a prior conviction for drunk driving, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.25%, which is 2 1/2 times the legal limit for intoxication, Kahn said.

Silva was speeding and driving erratically eastbound on Parthenia Street at Balboa Boulevard in Northridge when he ran a red light and struck a car, slightly injuring its driver, Kahn said.

Silva’s car apparently flipped and Pisano suffered serious injuries. He died Tuesday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center of head and internal injuries.

Silva and another passenger in the car suffered only slight injuries.

Silva is charged with murder, Kahn said, because of his previous arrest and because the surviving passenger told police he and Pisano had questioned Silva about being too drunk to drive.

Silva pleaded not guilty Thursday before Van Nuys Municipal Court Judge Patricia Gorner Schwartz and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail in County Jail.