Francisco Garcia sentenced to 20 years to life for 2018 DUI crash that killed Elicia Lopez Hernandez
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – Francisco Garcia of Oxnard was sentenced to 20 years to life in state prison in connection with the DUI crash that claimed the life of Elicia Lopez Hernandez in 2018.
On July 22, 2018, Garcia was driving eastbound on Pleasant Valley Road in Oxnard when he struck two vehicles that were disabled in a previous accident explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Multiple people had exited their vehicles to help the people involved in the accident, including Hernandez, when Garcia crashed into the scene and killed her as well as seriously injured another good Samaritan detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Garcia fled the scene on foot and was later spotted hiding on a nearby rooftop by officers with the Oxnard Police Department.
His blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.24 percent hours after the fatal collision added the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Garcia had a prior DUI conviction in 2009 and he received a Watson advisement from the court explaining that if he was found to be driving under the influence again and killed someone, he could face a murder charge for his actions.
"Elicia Lopez Hernandez was struck down while trying to help others. Her loss and the injury and suffering the defendant caused are tragedies that justice alone cannot heal," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Edward Andrews who prosecuted the case. "The sentence today brings accountability and serves to protect the community from a dangerous individual."
