A 96-year-old La Jolla man was killed Oct. 25 when a car slammed into the beachfront retirement home where he lived, and the driver of the car was jailed on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and other charges.
The driver of a 2004 Oldsmobile, Randy Albert Gaster, 53, ran a stop sign at the intersection of Pearl Street and Olivetas Avenue, lost control on a curve in the roadway and careened into the White Sands La Jolla around 12:20 a.m., according to San Diego police. The car crashed through an exterior wall
and fatally struck the victim as he was sleeping.
Gaster was treated for injuries sustained in the crash and was subsequently booked into jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, driving with a suspended license and driving without a license, according to police and jail records.
It was not immediately clear whether the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident, or had possibly suffered a medical emergency. No other injuries were reported, authorities said.