By Brooke Holland, Noozhawk Staff Writer
The driver facing murder charges stemming from a head-on crash that killed a Solvang woman and her two children on Highway 154 last month was in court Friday for arraignment, but his case was continued to later this month.
John Roderick Dungan, 28, of Santa Barbara has been accused of three counts of murder for an Oct. 25 collision that killed Rebecca Vanessa Goss Bley, 34, of Solvang, and her kids — 2-year-old Lucienne Bley Gleason, and 4-month-old Desmond Bley Gleason.
Dungan made his first Santa Barbara County Superior Court appearance before Judge Clifford Anderson.
Anderson delayed the arraignment for Dungan to Nov. 20.
Before an arraignment, a substitution of counsel in the case is set for Nov. 15.
On Wednesday, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed three counts of murder charges against Dungan.
The Santa Barbara California Highway Patrol office investigating the incident released additional information Thursday, saying investigators believe Dungan deliberately veered into oncoming traffic with the intention of colliding with another vehicle.
Dungan was westbound near the Cold Spring Bridge when his Chevrolet Camaro slammed into a 2013 Chevy Volt driven by Bley, which then was struck from behind by a GMC Yukon on Oct. 25.
Both the Yukon and Volt subsequently caught on fire, which burned the nearby vegetation.
Bley and her children were pronounced dead at the scene.
Dungan suffered major injuries and he was airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
A 13-year-old boy and 55-year-old Los Gatos man in the Yukon escaped injury.
Dungan was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was being held without bail.
Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wagner is prosecuting the case.
Dungan appeared in person, wearing orange jail clothing. He was behind the glass in a courtroom enclosure during the brief proceedings.
Deputy Public Defender Mindi Boulet objected to media requests to photograph the defendant in court, and Anderson decided to allow photographs of the hearing but not of Dungan.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com.
