Alcohol flask found in SUV hit by Greyhound bus [The Fresno Bee, Calif.]

Aug. 27--A crushed metal flask that reeked of alcohol was found in the Chevy TrailBlazer that triggered a Greyhound bus crash that killed six people in central Fresno.

That was among newly disclosed details in a California Highway Patrol officer's affidavit made public Thursday. The affidavit suggests investigators are aggressively trying to find out who gave alcohol to the teenage SUV driver.

The intoxicated driver -- 18-year-old Sylvia Garay -- was killed along with her passengers, Stephanie Cordoba, 20, and Vanessa Gonzalez, 19, both of Fresno.

In the affidavit, CHP officer J.A. Watson wrote that the Dinuba teen's SUV "made a series of unsafe turning movements" as it traveled north July 22 in the right lane of Highway 99.

The CHP has said the SUV struck the concrete center divider, rolled, and landed on its side, blocking two lanes, with its undercarriage facing oncoming traffic in the northbound lanes.

The bus, with 32 people aboard, hit the SUV and then collided with a Honda at an unknown speed, Watson wrote. The impact carried all three vehicles over an embankment.

Three people on the bus died: passengers Epifania Solis, 60, of Madera and Tomas Ponce, 79, of Winton; and driver James Jewett, 57, of Sacramento.

Watson's affidavit had been filed in Fresno County Superior Court in support of a search warrant that CHP investigators sought so that they could confiscate the flask, as well as obtain Garay's cell phone records.

Highlighting the efforts investigators are making to determine who gave Garay alcohol, the search warrant sought to obtain text messages, video images, photographs and contact information from the phone.

CHP obtained four electronic files from AT&T on July 23. Their contents were not revealed.

The affidavit leaves some key questions unanswered, such as how fast the bus was going and why its driver couldn't avoid the SUV.

Authorities have said they aren't sure whether the SUV's lights were on or whether it was visible to the bus driver.

The affidavit states that Garay was not wearing a seat belt and probably died when she was thrown from the vehicle. It's unclear whether she was thrown from the SUV when it first rolled, or when the bus hit.

According to the affidavit, Cordoba and Gonzalez had bruises on their bodies that were consistent with having worn seat belts.

The three women had been celebrating a friend's birthday party at the Starline nightclub in Fresno's Tower District. Before going to the Starline, the girls had been at the home of a friend, Stephanie Banks Godoy.

On Thursday, Godoy declined to comment on the discovery of the flask. "I've said everything I needed to say to the police," she said.

Garay's family could not be reached to comment.

Watson wrote in the affidavit that during an autopsy, he "observed the stale odor of alcohol" coming from Garay's body.

Cordoba and Gonzalez each wore wristbands from the Starline. "The bands were white with blue smiley faces," indicating they were for patrons younger than 21, Watson wrote.

The Fresno County Coroner's Office has reported that Garay had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11%, more than the legal limit of 0.08% to drive. Cordoba also had alcohol in her system -- 0.05%, Coroner David Hadden has said.

Gonzalez had no alcohol in her system, he said.

The reporters can be reached at plopez@fresnobee.com, plloyd@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6330.

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