Judge Bernie LaForteza sentenced the driver who killed a Newhall man and severely injured the man’s wife in a May 26 DUI crash on Interstate 5 to seven years, eight months in prison Dec. 5.
Gary Edgar Palma Sanchez, 30, of Simi Valley, pleaded guilty in court last week to a pair of charges he was facing: gross vehicular manslaughter while drunk and driving under the influence causing bodily injury. He also admitted an allegation that the crash caused great bodily injury.
Palma Sanchez was facing a maximum of 13 years with the special allegations listed on the felony advisement of his rights. He waived his preliminary hearing — when the evidence is presented to a judge who decides whether there’s enough for trial.
California Highway Patrol officers reported that they were investigating a nearby crash when they became aware that Palma Sanchez had failed to stop behind a sedan, smashing it into a big rig.
Krista Victoria Rodriguez sustained major injuries in the crash and her husband, Clay Matthew Rodriguez, was declared dead at the scene.
CHP officers who investigated the crash said Palma Sanchez admitted to being the driver, exhibited red, watery eyes and slurred his speech, and then refused to take a sobriety test at the scene. One was later obtained around 4 a.m. at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital via a search warrant, according to court records.
Palma Sanchez is expected to be formally sentenced at a restitution hearing Jan. 23.
The community created an outpouring of support for the Rodriguez family in response to its tragedy.
A GoFundMe effort to help pay for funeral expenses raised more than $32,000 before the donations were turned off by the organizer.
