Santa Barbara man who killed three in 2019 crash on Highway 154 found guilty

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara man who was accused of killing three people after intentionally crashing his car into another car along Highway 154 in 2019 was found guilty of the crimes by a Santa Barbara jury, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday.

John Dungan, 30, was convicted on three counts of second-degree murder for killing 34-year-old Vanessa Bley and her two small children, Lucienne Bley Gleason, 2, and Desmond Bley Gleason, four months, in an accident near Cold Spring Bridge on Oct. 25, 2019.

Dungan was driving a Chevy Camaro along Highway 154 at 119 miles per hour when he drove through Bley's Chevy Volt and killed all three victims instantaneously.

He previously pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.

The verdict comes after six weeks of testimony from first responders, civilian witnesses who stopped by the crash scene to assist, and in-depth expert testimony detailing the causation and dynamics of the crash, the District Attorney's Office said.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 28, and Dungan faces 45 years to life in prison.