Photo credit: Wiki Commons
Photo credit: Wiki Commons

A motorist who allegedly fled the scene after striking two pedestrians trying to cross the street in the Midway District, dragging one victim about 1,000 feet, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of mayhem, DUI and hit-and-run.

Yosvaldo Sixco, 21, was ordered held on $750,000 bail. Deputy District Attorney Bill Mitchell said Sixco struck two men on Rosecrans Avenue about 10 p.m. last Sunday and severely injured both men.

A 25-year-old victim had a broken leg and a fractured left shoulder, and a 24-year-old suffered a broken pelvis and ended up stuck under the front wheels of Sixco’s car.

Mitchell said that victim’s face was seriously disfigured. Witnesses who saw the accident told Sixco to stop because a man was stuck under his wheels, but the defendant drove off and the victim was freed from underneath the car, Mitchell said.

About 1 a.m., a police officer in the area saw Sixco trying to move his vehicle, and the defendant drove off at a high rate of speed, the prosecutor said.

Sixco struck a parked car, drove down an alley at 45 mph, then struck a pole on the street and was taken into custody, Mitchell said. The defendant’s blood-alcohol content was measured at .15-.16 percent, about twice the legal limit for driving, Mitchell told reporters. Sixco — who has no prior record — faces a maximum of 12 years in prison if convicted.

A readiness conference is set for Jan. 5 and a preliminary hearing for Jan. 9.

— City News Service