By Valerie Reitman and Andrew Blankstein, Times Staff Writers
3:19 PM PDT, April 6, 2007 

Hector Velazquez-Nava, the driver accused of causing the crash that killed movie director Bob Clark and his son, pleaded not guilty today to a pair of counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. 

He remains in custody at Van Nuys Jail with bail set at $200,000, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. 

Velazquez-Nava, 24, had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit when the crash occurred early Wednesday on Pacific Coast Highway, police said. He is a native of Mexico who federal authorities said was in the U.S. illegally. 

The crash killed Clark, the director of "A Christmas Story" and the "Porky's" movies, and his son Ariel, 22. 

Velazquez-Nava suffered minor injuries in the accident. 

The high-speed collision left the mangled vehicles about 100 feet apart amid a long trail of debris, including parts of wheels, undercarriages and axles. 

The passenger sides of both vehicles sustained the heaviest damage, indicating that Velazquez-Nava may have swerved toward the ocean and Clark the opposite way as they collided at high speed. 

Velazquez-Nava had a blood alcohol level of 0.24 percent, three times the 0.08 legal limit for driving. There was no evidence the Clarks had been drinking, police said. 

Velazquez-Nava does not have documentation of legal U.S. residency, nor does he appear to have ever had a U.S. driver's license, authorities said. 

Velazquez-Nava lives in Los Angeles, but little other information was available. He told authorities that he was on his way from Hollywood to West Covina when he crashed, although he was traveling in the opposite direction. 

Law enforcement sources said Velazquez-Nava pleaded guilty in 2005 in Los Angeles to a prostitution-related charge and was sentenced to two years' probation. He could face at least four to 10 years imprisonment if convicted of vehicular manslaughter.