VISTA (CNS) - A 52-year-old man who drove drunk, then caused a chain reaction crash that killed a man who was standing by his disabled vehicle on Interstate 5 in Carlsbad was sentenced Tuesday to nearly 12 years in state prison.
Douglas Lee Payne, of Carlsbad, pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and other charges for causing the death of Juan Flores-Hernandez, 65, on the night of April 27, 2022.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Payne's vehicle veered out of the freeway lanes at around 11:15 p.m. and collided with a Ford Explorer parked on the right shoulder of southbound Interstate 5, north of Cannon Road.
The impact sent the Explorer into the victim, who authorities said was a resident of the Sun City neighborhood of Menifee in Riverside County. Flores-Hernandez died at the scene.
Payne, who was initially charged with murder in the case, was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to a stipulated term of 11 years and eight months in prison.
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