A man who drove while drunk was sentenced last Friday to a whopping 188 years in prison for five deaths, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office announced this week.
Cameron Garcia, 32, was convicted of driving while intoxicated when in 2023, a 2007 Cadillac Escalade crashed into a tree south of the Freeport Bridge between Clarksburg and Freeport.
In that vehicle were five passengers — Monte Nunn, 29; Faith Samuel, 18; Izabelle Salaz-Stephens, 19; Curvontay Swygert, 16; and Aahliya Garcia, 17 — who all died from the crash.
According to prosecutors, Garcia had spent the day drinking by the Sacramento River. As he was driving down a road, the road turned and Garcia hit the tree at 101 miles per hour.
Garcia was allegedly so drunk that even right before the car hit the tree, there were no brakes applied and the foot was on accelerator pedal. The car flipped 180 degrees, tearing the entire right side and most of the roof off the vehicle.
Garcia survived with multiple injuries, but at the crash site, he made attempts to flee, which the jury determined as a reason to enhance his punishment.
He attempted to take several cars, including that of a woman who was nearby and drove to the scene. When she arrived, Garcia got into her car, pushed her out of the driver’s seat and sped off.
He ended up in Elk Grove where multiple officers chased him through cars and helicopter. He crashed that stolen car and tried to flee again, but officers eventually apprehended him.
Blood tests later showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.11% about 90 minutes after the collision. He also had active marijuana in his system.
Family members of Garcia, however, are disputing that narrative. According to a Change.org petition started by his family, one of the victims — Faith Samuel — was actually the one who “lost control” of the vehicle and was behind the wheel.
Garcia, they insisted, was actually sleeping at the time.
“The only survivor, Cameron was thrown from the vehicle in a manner that, he desperately insists, proves he was not driving,” the petition read. “Despite the context and evidence, he was sentenced to 188 years for a crime he did not commit.”
The petition is asking for a review of the case and to overturn the conviction, which is based on five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and carjacking.
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