Man convicted of murder in drunken-driving crash that killed Angels star Nick Adenhart

A California man was convicted of murder in the drunken-driving deaths of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others.

Andrew Gallo, 23, was found guilty in Orange County court of three felony counts of murder, felony fleeing the scene, and felony DUI, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

He will be sentenced Dec. 10 this year and faces up to 51 years-to life in prison.

His attorney, Jacqueline Goodman, said prosecutors misled the jury and didn’t present the correct charges.

“By letting the jury be misled into believing the only charge appropriate to these circumstances could be murder or nothing, we’ve ensured a grave miscarriage of justice,” she said. “It’s tragic to throw away a young life like that forever.”

Goodman said the more appropriate charge was gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

The crash happened April 9, 2009, four hours after Adenhart, 22, had pitched six scoreless innings in his first start of the season for the Angels.

Gallo, whose blood-alcohol level was 0.19 a few hours after the crash, ran a red light and hit a car containing Adenhart and two others.

Driver Courtney Stewart, 20, and passenger Henry Pearson, 25, were pronounced dead at the scene, and Adenhart died at a hospital a few hours later.

The Angels didn’t return a call for comment by press time.