Retrial Begins Monday in Drunk Driving Death

The retrial of a Burlingame man involved in a drunk driving crash that killed his passenger and best friend begins Monday.

Bruce Alan Walker Jr. was drunk when he crashed his car in an accident that killed his passenger, 36-year old Daniel White.

Walker was driving south on El Camino Real on April 11, 2009, when he lost control of his car near Howard Avenue.

He was allegedly speeding when he hit the curb and spun out before jumping the northbound curb, hitting a tree and flipping the car to its roof.

A 20-day jury trial in April ended with the jury finding Walker guilty on a count of felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and intoxication, but deadlocked on a count of second degree murder, causing the court to declare a mistrial.

Walker has two prior misdemeanor drunk driving convictions from 1997 and 2001.

While prosecutors believe Walker's history demonstrates he is a public safety risk, his defense claims a murder charge is too harsh, especially since he must live with knowing the accident killed his best friend.

“He’s been found guilty of what we think is appropriate,” his attorney Geoff Carr told The San Francisco Examiner.

He remains in custody on $2,000,000 bail.