SAN ANTONIO – A 26-year-old man was driving under the influence when he crashed into a bus stop and fatally struck a pedestrian on the city's South Side, according to a blood draw warrant obtained by KSAT.com on Tuesday.
Edward Vincent Korslund was taken into custody early Saturday morning on charges of intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid - death, which are second- and third-degree felonies.
On Saturday, officers responded around 6:36 a.m. to the 5100 block of South Zarzamora Street for a report of a major crash.
When they arrived, officers found a wrecked vehicle abandoned and a 48-year-old man lying facedown on the ground, suffering from serious injuries. The man was later pronounced dead by emergency medical personnel, police said.
A witness told police that, just before the crash, he had seen Korslund asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle, which was facing north on South Zarzamora Street. He said that, when he knocked on the driver side window, Korslund woke up and sped off, running a red light at the intersection of South Zarzamora and Nogalitos streets.
Korslund was then seen crashing into the bus stop and taking off on foot from the scene.
Witnesses were able to provide a description of the suspect, which helped officers locate Korslund several blocks away from the crash scene.
Edward Korslund, 26, was driving under the influence when he crashed into a bus stop & fatally struck a pedestrian. He said been using meth & smoking marijuana & had not slept in over 24 hrs, according to a blood draw warrant. STORY➡️ https://t.co/PQtDn7zknt #KSATnews #SanAntonio pic.twitter.com/0sOLV3tcYN
— Adrian Garcia (@adrianrolgarcia) February 5, 2019
Because Korslund admitted to smoking marijuana, officers requested a sample of his blood, which Korslund refused at the scene, according to the warrant.
Officers discovered smoked marijuana joints on the driver's side floorboard and found evidence of cocaine and Xanax pills in the vehicle, police said.
Korslund told police he had been taking methamphetamines and smoking marijuana from Thursday into Friday and had not slept in over 24 hours, according to the warrant.
According to online records, Korslund has an extensive criminal history that dates back nearly a decade. He was sentenced to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and was released in January 2017.
Korslund has previous arrests for possession of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, theft and unlawful carry of a weapon.
As of Tuesday, the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released the identity of the victim.
Korslund is still in custody and his bail has been set at $400,000.
SAPD's tips on dealing with unresponsive drivers behind the wheel of the car:
- Always call police first.
- If you must approach a vehicle, never do so from the front of the vehicle or behind the vehicle.
- Approach the vehicle from the side, do it from the passenger’s side.
- Look inside to ensure no weapons or things that could harm you are visible.
- Make sure the car is in park before tapping on the window to get the driver's attention.
- If the vehicle is in drive or reverse, do NOT tap on the car to prevent the driver from being startled and speeding off.
San Antonio Police practice the following safety protocol when in these types of situations:
- Two to three officers respond to the call.
- One officer parks his vehicle at the front of the driver’s car and one parks at the back of the driver’s car.
- Both units are equipped with push bumpers to limit the amount of damage done if a driver is startled and speeds off once they are awake.
- This positioning protects officers, other drivers on the roadway and the general public.
- Once the driver’s car is successfully blocked in, officers will approach the vehicle and tap on the window.