As the two year anniversary of the death of Sacramento State student Jesse Snow approaches, deliberations are still underway in a Sacramento court regarding 22-year-old Stephen Head’s involvement in Snow’s death.

Snow, 20, died on Oct. 25, 2001 in a car accident on Howe Avenue. Snow and Head had been drinking at Chevy’s Restaurant before they got in a car and sped down Howe Avenue at 90 miles per hour.

The driver of the vehicle, Head, lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree. The accident left Snow with a snapped spinal chord and severe internal bleeding.

He died later that night at UC Davis Medical Center.

Prosecutor Michael Blazina said Head is being charged with vehicular manslaughter while being intoxicated and driving under the influence causing bodily injury.

The criminal trial for Head started in August and concluded Sept. 16. The jury began deliberations two days after the trial had closing statements and resumed on Monday.

They have yet to reach a verdict, although one is expected this week. Blazina said that in the event of a hung jury a mistrial would be declared, followed by an evaluation by the District Attorney to determine the next step towards a retrial.

If Head is found guilty he could face up to nine years in prison. The case against Head is one of two cases involving the death of Snow. The first, settled in January, resulted in Chevy’s giving Sac State $50,000 which will be used to raise alcohol awareness on campus. Snow’s mother, Patricia, has been working closely with Alcoholic Advisory Council member Heather Dunn Carlton since the settlement of the suit against Chevy’s to ensure that the money is used properly.

Since January, the Jesse Snow Memorial Fund has been established to aid those organizations on campus in need of financial assistance for programs to raise student awareness about drinking responsibly.

One campus organization which has benefited from the settlement is the Safe Rides program.

Safe Rides is a free service that picks up intoxicated students and takes them home. It operates Thursday through Sunday.

Ms. Snow has also been working with the D.A. and the California Highway Patrol to get what is left of the wreckage from the crash donated to Sac State. It is her hope that the debris be used as part of a display informing students about the dangers of drinking and driving.

“Hopefully if we can have pictures of the crash site and of Jesse with what’s left of the car,” Ms. Snow said.

There are no plans for a memorial service to honor the two year anniversary of Snow’s death, but Ms. Snow is trying to team-up with the Doubletree Hotel, where he worked part time, to have a bench dedicated at the site of the crash.

The Snow family plans to spend the anniversary of their only son’s death at his grave in a Napa cemetery.

“Sac State means a lot to me because Jesse chose it,” Ms. Snow. “It will always hold a special place in my heart.”