Lane Garrison Charged with Vehicular Manslaughter

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Thursday Mar 08, 2007 1:55pm EST


CREDIT: JOHN SHEARER / WIREIMAGE

Prison Break actor Lane Garrison has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, police announced Thursday.

The charge stems from a car accident in December that killed a 17-year-old male passenger.

Garrison, 26, is expected to be arraigned after 1:30 p.m. on Thursday in Beverly Hills Superior Court.

The actor was also charged with driving under the influence, driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol level causing injury and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

The indictment was first reported by TMZ.com.

On Dec. 2, Garrison, who plays "Tweener" on the FOX jailhouse drama, was driving his Land Rover SUV with three teen-aged passengers when the vehicle struck a tree at 11:52 p.m. Garrison had cocaine and more than twice the legal blood alcohol level in his system after the collision. Two 15-year-old girls, who were also in the car, were both injured.

If convicted, the actor faces a maximum state prison term of six years and eight months. Bail has been recommended at $200,000.

Police reported at the time of the accident that Garrison displayed "symptoms of alcohol intoxication" and said they found alcohol containers in the SUV, which was registered to him.

After the accident, Garrison's attorney, Harland Braun, told PEOPLE the actor had a margarita with dinner but was not driving under the influence and was knocked unconscious in the crash. Braun also had pointed to a possible problem with the brakes.

Braun has said Garrison met the teens that night at a grocery store, where they invited him to attend a party. At the time of the accident, he said, the group was leaving the gathering and Garrison was driving them back to the store.