21-year-old Huntington Beach man charged with vehicular manslaughter for friend's e-bike death, towing him while car surfing

A 21-year-old Huntington Beach man has been charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence after his 20-year-old friend died while riding an e-bike, car surfing from his truck.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office said Brandon Scott Soleau faces up to six years in prison if he is convicted of charges relating to the death of Kolby Kekoa Aipa.

On Aug. 2 last year, around 10:30 p.m., Soleau picked up eight friends in his 2015 Toyota Tacoma in Huntington Beach, with three of the passengers ending up in the bed of the pickup truck.

Prosecutors said Aipa rode alongside Soleau's truck on an e-bike while Soleau drove on a service road parallel to Pacific Coast Highway.

Aipa asked if he could grab on and car-surf, and Soleau allegedly gave him permission. Aipa grabbed onto Soleau's pickup truck by putting his arm through the open front passenger window while on his e-bike.

Soleau drove onto Pacific Coast Highway at approximately 50 miles per hour while a passenger in the truck filmed Aipa being towed, prosecutors said.

After more than a mile, near Seapoint Street, Aipa lost control and fell. He was taken to the hospital and died three days later from blunt head trauma.

Soleau is scheduled to be arraigned on July 23 at the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center in Westminster.