NBC affiliate KSNW in Kansas City reports that an Oceanside, California man has been sentenced to 43 months in prison for his role in a fatal crash in Sedgwick County, Kansas, in 2020.
According to court documents, the crash happened on September 5, 2020, at approximately 2:15 a.m. when Gabriel Ortiz,27, of Oceanside, California, crashed his vehicle into a passenger van at the intersection of Hoover Road and MacArthur Road.
Investigators say that Ortiz was driving at a speed of 100 miles per hour or more when he veered off the road, overcorrected, and collided head-on with the van.
The drivers of both vehicles and their passengers were rushed to an area hospital with critical and, in some cases, life-threatening injuries. A 55-year-old woman who was a passenger in the van died due to her injuries in the crash.
In January 2022, Sedgwick County authorities filed for extradition from California to Kansas to face the charges of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of aggravated battery, and DUI. In September of 2022, the Sedgwick County extradition unit took custody of the defendant and transported him to Sedgwick County Jail.
In May 2023, Ortiz pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
A Sedgwick County judge has sentenced Ortiz to 43 months of prison and three years of probation after he is released.
