Manslaughter charged in Seo’s death

Darleene Barrientos

Nearly three months after an alleged drunken driver ran over

Christine Seo as she walked home from high school, prosecutors have

filed a vehicular manslaughter charge against him.

Carnell Parks of La Crescenta was charged Thursday by the district

attorney’s office, although an arrest warrant for him was still

pending that night, officials said. He also faces charges that he was

driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

Christine, 15, was walking in a lighted crosswalk at Altura and

Pennsylvania avenues Feb. 3 when Parks, 51, hit her with his

sport-utility vehicle. The Crescenta Valley High School sophomore

died late the next day.

The tragedy brought school officials and city leaders together to

develop a teen pedestrian-safety program and study plans to install

lights, a median, wider curbs and other traffic aids.

County and Glendale city officials are considering installing a

street light at the corner, which has been the site of other

accidents.

California Highway Patrol officers arrested Parks at the scene on

suspicion of driving under the influence. He was released on bail a

day later.

As of late Thursday, no court dates had been set for Parks to

answer the charges brought against him.