The ABC affiliate 10 News reports that a Carlsbad man who drove while legally intoxicated and caused a chain reaction crash on the 5 Freeway was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison by a San Diego County court.
According to the press release, 51-year-old Douglas Lee Payne of Carlsbad pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and other related charges that ultimately resulted in the death of a 65-year-old Sun City man.
The California Highway Patrol submitted its findings to the court regarding the incident on April 27, 2022. A CHP investigation showed that Payne’s Honda Accord veered out of his freeway lane on the southbound lanes of I-5 at approximately 11:15 p.m. His vehicle collided with a disabled Ford Explorer parked on the right shoulder of the road just north of Cannon Road.
The force of the impact sent the disabled vehicle into the victim. Despite all life-saving efforts by Good Samaritans and paramedics to assist the man, he reportedly died at the scene.
Payne was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and booked into the Vista Detention Facility. Initially, Payne was charged with second-degree murder and was denied bail by a San Diego County judge.
In exchange for his guilty plea, on Tuesday, March 28, Payne was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 11 years and eight months in state prison.
