Driver in Crosswalk Death Pleads Not Guilty to Manslaughter

The driver charged with felony vehicular manslaughter and gross negligence in the of an student pleaded not guilty to all charges Thursday, his attorney confirmed.

Bowen Du, 19, struck and killed Alice Zhang in April as she attempted to traverse a crosswalk on Duarte Road with her friend, Priyanka Patel. Du's red Lexus sedan also hit Patel, who sustained serious injuries but lived.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stan Blumenfeld that Du should go to trial in the case. Prosecutors allege the Pasadena City College student and Army Reserve enlistee failed to keep his windshield clean, which they said contributed to the accident, along with glare from the setting sun. 

Du, who faces up to six years in prison if convicted, will appear at Pasadena Superior Court Sept. 14 for a pretrial hearing, his attorney, Evan P. Freed, said. In the meantime, Freed said he plans to continue to try to work out a deal with prosecutors.

"I will be discussing the case with the District Attorney's office," Freed said in a phone interview. "If everything works out, then so be it. If not, then we'll go to trial."

Read more of our coverage of the tragic death of Alice Zhang.