SANTA ANA — A suspected drunken driver accused of crashing into a pickup truck and killing two construction workers was charged Monday with second-degree murder.

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Hipolito Paez, 30, of Orange pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon to two counts of second-degree murder, as well as a misdemeanor count of driving without a valid license, court records show.

Paez was already facing misdemeanor DUI charges for an unrelated incident, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. At the time of his arrest, a warrant had been issued against Paez after he allegedly failed to appear at a court hearing.

Shortly before 8:50 p.m. on Thursday, Paez was driving westbound on Santiago Canyon road when he collided with a construction crew in Orange near the Jamboree Road intersection, prosecutors said.

Two construction workers – 51-year-old Elias Juarez and 35-year-old James Sanderson – were pronounced dead at the scene.

The crew was setting up an arrow board in the bike lane to warn drivers of the construction work ahead, authorities said. Police previously indicated that they were part of a private company contracted to work on the roadwork project.

Prosecutors said Paez had blood alcohol level of about .12 percent, above the .08 percent state limit for driving a vehicle.

If convicted, Paez faces up to 30 years to life in state prison.