A Santa Cruz man pleaded not guilty Monday to felony vehicular manslaughter, impaired driving and suspended license charges for a recent fatal collision involving a bicyclist in Soquel Village.
Eric Joseph Poore, 41, appeared Monday before Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Nancy de la Pena.
The California Highway Patrol arrested Poore after a 3:45 p.m. crash Friday, Sept. 11, on Soquel Drive near Porter Street. He had been driving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado that collided with a bicycle.
The bicyclist, James Lynn Meeks, 57, died in a local hospital the next day. A spokeswoman for the county Coroner’s Unit of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said she could not provide details of his residency and could say only that his family had been notified.
Some details were included in a criminal complaint filed by the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, though the final accident report has not been released.
Prosecutor Alex Byers stated Poore was leaving Sir Froggy’s Pub when he made an unsafe turn onto Soquel Drive and struck the bicycle. Poore did stop and participate in the investigation, Byers said in court Monday.
Yet he allegedly had a blood alcohol level of .11%, and was also under the influence of an unnamed drug, according to the criminal complaint. He had posted a $100,000 bail bond and remains out of custody.
Poore appeared to be alone in the courtroom. Noting the felony manslaughter charge, de la Pena told him she thought he needed an attorney and asked whether he agreed. Poore said he was “hoping to speak to a public defender.”
After he filled out a court form, she agreed. Poore said he was employed.
Byers asked the judge to “reevaluate [Poore’s] custody status,” given his large number of driving offenses. They date to 2008 and include five allegations of driving on a suspended license, including a pending 2023 hit-and-run case in Watsonville that caused property damage.
According to court records, Poore has received more than 15 traffic violations, including several tickets for speeding, an improper turn, and seat belt, insurance and registration violations.
The current case is more serious.
“This is a crime involving violence,” Byers said, adding that Poore’s record points to the potential for more to come.
But public defender Manuel Nieto disagreed, saying it was unclear what caused the accident and that the current, initial report is filled with blanks, including no mention of witnesses. He sidestepped a question from de la Pena about whether his client had a driver’s license, saying they were not disputing that allegation.
De la Pena left the bail bond intact but strengthened the conditions, telling Poore he could not sit behind the wheel of a vehicle—much less drive it—and could not even possess car keys.
She also told him he could not drink, must submit proof of “alcohol diversion” sessions or meetings at least three times per week and had to stay away from all bars, including Sir Froggy’s. She told him he could be tested or searched by law enforcement officers at any time.
Poore, dressed in blue jeans and a plaid button-down shirt, said “yes, ma’am” several times as the judge admonished him. He is due back in court Nov. 2.
Byers said he hoped to have the CHP’s accident reconstruction report by then.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Poore’s blood-alcohol content as 0.011%.
