‘Drunk Driving’ Stanford Student Killed Two in Car Crash, Then Sued Victims’ Families for Defamation

Stanford University student King Vanga lost a defamation lawsuit against Priscilla Juarez, a family member of two people he killed in a car accident in 2021.

In the letters, Juarez described Vanga as a “murderer,” accused him of violating Stanford’s code of conduct and suggested that he was drunk at the time of the car accident.

Vanga, a 2019-2023 Stanford student, argued these statements were defamatory.

However, the court dismissed the case, ruling that Juárez’s statements were protected opinions under the First Amendment.

The court also found that her claim about Vanga’s alleged drunkenness was not defamatory as it was consistent with police and media reports at the time.

Multiple charges were filed against Vanga the night of the accident, including two counts of aggravated intoxication manslaughter, resisting a senior officer and attempting to steal a peace officer’s firearm and battery on a peace officer. He pleaded not guilty.

Although Vanga refused a field breathalyzer test, responding officers claimed he showed signs of intoxication, including the odor of alcohol and red eyes.

Stanford University student King Vanga (pictured) lost a defamation lawsuit against Priscilla Juarez, a family member of two people he killed in a car accident in 2021

In letters to the university, Juarez described Vanga as a “murderer,” accused him of violating Stanford’s code of conduct and suggested he was drunk at the time of the crash

Early media reports cited law enforcement allegations that Vanga may have been under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both.

However, subsequent blood tests revealed no drugs or alcohol, leading prosecutors to reduce the charge to involuntary manslaughter. Vanga’s criminal trial is still pending.

After the accident, Juarez and other family members called on Stanford to take disciplinary action against Vanga.

In her letters, Juarez called on the university to expel him and called Stanford a “morally respectable institution.”

Juárez’s attorney, Kenneth White, said Stanford acknowledged the concerns but took no disciplinary action.

Vanga remains listed in the Stanford directory as a computer science student and a management science and engineering graduate student.

In October 2022, Vanga discovered Juarez’s letters in his Stanford files and filed a defamation lawsuit in 2023. He offered to drop the case if Juarez removed online statements about him, declined further comment and stopped supporting his prosecution.

Juarez’s legal team responded with an anti-SLAPP motion, a legal tool used to dismiss lawsuits that violate free speech rights. Anti-SLAPP motions also allow defendants to recover attorney’s fees if successful.

“There is a trend where rich people think that the poor should only have as much free speech as they can afford,” White told the Stanford Daily. “And that’s what this case was about for me, and that’s why I’m glad we have a tool like the anti-SLAPP law.”

The accident on June 25, 2021 in Atwater, California killed Priscilla’s mother-in-law Pamela Juarez and her father-in-law Jose Juarez

Vanga argued that her statements were defamatory, but the court dismissed the case and ruled that Juárez’s statements were protected opinions under the First Amendment

The court ruled in favor of Juarez. Her legal team is now demanding compensation for legal fees.

Vanga has filed additional defamation lawsuits against other family members of the victims, which remain unresolved.

“Every case is a little different because every case is based on what the defendant said in his letter (to Stanford),” White said. “But in my opinion (Priscilla Juarez’s family members) should be very optimistic based on this outcome.”

Priscilla created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs.