Overview: William John Christian
The job of Christian, 59, as a transportation engineer and field engineer with CalTrans qualifies him to serve his time in work furlough. He will work days and be incarcerated at night and on weekends in a work furlough center.
A CalTrans worker who struck and killed a Mission Hills man has been ordered to surrender on March 2 to start his one-year term in a work furlough program.
William John Christian, 59, was reportedly gambling all night at Barona Casino and was driving to his home in Mission Hills at 4:30 a.m. when he struck a pedestrian, Steven Mark Davis, who died hours later at a hospital.
Davis was 69.
The job of Christian as a transportation engineer and field engineer with CalTrans qualifies him to serve his time in work furlough. He will work days and be incarcerated at night and on weekends in a work furlough center.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Lisa Rodriguez placed Christian on two years’ probation and fined him $820. She allowed him to remain free on a $100,000 bond until March 2, and revoked his driver’s license.
Deputy District Attorney Lauren Wade wrote in court documents that Christian struck Davis as he was walking across Hancock Street between Witherby and Noell Streets around 5 a.m. The collision left a badly injured Davis in the middle of the street.
Wade wrote that Christian did not slow down before hitting Davis, but made a U-turn and stopped across the street after looking at him on the road. Christian rendered no aid or assessment and then drove off without calling 911, Wade wrote.
Another driver found Davis and called 911.
Davis, who was believed to be homeless, was rushed to a hospital and died during surgery at 10:05 a.m., according to papers filed by Christian’s attorney, Brian McCarthy.
Davis died from a traumatic brain injury and also had an intra-abdominal hemorrhage and fractures. Davis was asked at the scene whether he was hit by a car, and he told ambulance personnel, “No.”
Video camera footage from a business in Mission Hills captured the incident and showed the type of car that struck Davis. Police received a tip that Christian owned the type of vehicle involved in the collision. Christian’s cell phone placed him at the scene.
The judge gave Christian credit for serving four days in jail previously. He pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run.
When he was arrested, Christian acknowledged he drove a Dodge Challenger, but declined to tell police where the car could be found. The vehicle was not located by police, according to the prosecutor.
Christian has worked for CalTrans since 1998.
