Patch.com reports that a driver convicted of past DUI charges has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection to a fatal crash in April of 2021 that left a 71-year-old woman dead and injured several others.
The fatal crash happened on April 17, 2021, at approximately 6:00 p.m. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports that Adrian Reyes Antonio, 42, was speeding in the eastbound No. 2 lane of the 91 freeway in a Ford Windstar minivan when he failed to brake for slowed traffic in front of him.
Antonio’s vehicle rear-ended a Chrysler Voyager driven by a 68-year-old man and the woman who was a passenger.
The impact force sent the Chrysler into a Nissan Altima in an adjacent lane and was severe enough to eject the elderly man and woman from the vehicle.
Antonio’s minivan then struck a GMC Terrain SUV and caused a chain reaction crash with a Kia Sorrento and a Honda Accord.
The female passenger in the Chrysler was declared dead at the scene, while the driver was severely injured, and others suffered moderate to no injuries.
Antonio was uninjured in the crash. CHP officers investigating the crash determined that he had been driving under the influence of alcohol.
On Thursday, November 3, in Riverside County Superior Court, Antonio pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Antonio also pleaded guilty to two counts of DUI causing great bodily harm, driving without a license, and other related charges.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sean Crandell immediately sentenced Antonio to 15 years to life in prison.
The sentence is the maximum statutory term of imprisonment on the murder charge. Judge Crandell also ordered that terms for the other charges against Antonio run concurrent to the principal charge of second-degree murder.
According to court documents, the earliest possible date for Antonio to be eligible for parole is 2037.
