A 39-year-old man has been charged with murder after allegedly driving his pickup truck on the wrong side of the 405 Freeway and crashing head-on into a car, killing two Palmdale brothers, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced today.

Deputy District Attorney Morgan Mallory said Rodney Deshone Wright (dob 5/23/78) of San Fernando faces two counts each of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Wright also is charged with one count each of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury and driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol content causing injury. The complaint includes allegations that the defendant's blood alcohol concentration was .15 percent or more.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges yesterday and is scheduled to return on Aug. 25 in Department W31 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Airport Branch. Case SA096109 was filed for warrant on July 26.

On Jan. 21, Wright is alleged to have been driving his truck southbound on the carpool lane of the north 405 Freeway for a few miles, the prosecutor said. Near the Sepulveda Boulevard undercrossing in West Los Angeles, the defendant's vehicle crashed into a minivan driven by Ainsley Hall Hubbard, 27, killing both him and his passenger, Aiden Cochran Hubbard, 31, the prosecutor added.

If convicted as charged, Wright faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years to life in state prison. Bail is set at $4 million.

The case remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, West Los Angeles Station.

Los Angeles County District Attorney / Case SA096109 / August 10, 2017