Man Pleads Not Guilty to Killing Couple in Crash

A Temecula man accused of killing a couple when he plowed through a red light and broadsided the victims' compact sport utility vehicle pleaded not guilty Tuesday to gross vehicular manslaughter and other felonies.

Christopher Keith Bostic, 45, could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted in the Oct. 20 deaths of Amar Jain, 74, and his wife, Cheryl Jain, 66, of Yorba Linda.

In addition to two counts of manslaughter, Bostic is charged with hit- and-run resulting in injury and multiple sentence-enhancing allegations, including being a habitual offender and inflicting great bodily injury or death.

Bostic, who is being held in lieu of $140,000 bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, appeared with his attorney today before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer, who set a felony settlement conference in the case for Nov. 29.

According to sheriff's investigators, around 3 p.m. on Oct. 20, Bostic allegedly ran a red traffic signal at Rancho California Road and Jefferson Avenue, causing his 2006 Hyundai midsize sedan to collide with a 2008 Honda CRV being driven by Amar Jain.

Jain was attempting to make a left turn onto eastbound Rancho California from southbound Jefferson at the time, sheriff's Sgt. John Magnan said. Bostic was headed west on Rancho California and "entered the intersection against a red light," Magnan said.

The Jains suffered catastrophic injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the coroner's office.

Bostic was also injured and rushed to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he spent several weeks recovering. He missed five previously scheduled arraignments because doctors would not medically clear him to travel.

Bostic has seven convictions for vehicle code infractions, mainly for speeding, over the last five years, according to court records.

-City News Service