Trial for Drunk-Driving Murder of Nick Adenhart Delayed

The trial of the 22-year-old man accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed three people, including popular Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, will be delayed by at least six months due to the defendant’s private attorney quitting the case.

An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled that Andrew Gallo, the driver of the car that caused the crash, will have to be represented by a public defender. Assistant Public Defender Brian Harris will take over the defense, but will have to start from the beginning, Deputy District Attorney Susan Price said.

Gallo’s private attorney, Randall Longwith, told Judge Richard Toohey that he lacked the resources to adequately defend his client and asked to have county taxpayers pay for experts needed to defend Gallo. The experts are expensive and Gallo cannot afford them, Longwith said.

Gallo is charged with three counts of second-degree murder for the April 9 crash that killed Adenhart and two others. Authorities say Gallo’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit when he ran a red light in Fullerton and hit the Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Courtney Stewart, 20, of Diamond Bar.

Stewart was killed, along with Adenhart, 22, and Henry Pearson, a 25-year-old law student from Manhattan Beach. Jon Wilhite, 24, also of Manhattan Beach, was critically injured but survived, even though his skull had to be reattached to his spine.

Adenhart had pitched six scoreless innings just hours before the accident. A picture of Adenhart was added to the outfield wall at Angel Stadium after his death, and a black patch with Adenhart’s name and number (34) was added to the uniform of each Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim player.

Gallo had a prior drunken driving conviction from 2006 and was driving with a suspended license. He faces 54 years to life in prison if convicted on all count