Man sentenced to 14 years in prison for fatal Interstate 805 DUI crash

A California Highway Patrol cruiser File photo by Chris Stone Times of San Diego A man who drove under the influence and crashed into a carriage stopped on the side of Interstate in Mountain View killing that bicycle s driver was sentenced Thursday to years in state prison Markus Eugene Turner pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and other charges for the May crash that killed -year-old Temecula resident Grasiela Gomez Prosecutors say Gomez s car was having mechanical issues that morning forcing her to pull over onto the shoulder Turner who had smoked marijuana and had a blood alcohol content of around percent twice the legal driving limit in California was speeding up to mph and weaving between vehicles just before crashing into Gomez s bicycle Deputy District Attorney Melanie Guillen reported Gomez died at the scene of the wreck The California Highway Patrol noted Turner s car then struck two other vehicles causing a chain reaction crash that injured several people Turner s defense attorney Sammer Zakhour requested for a sentence of five years due in part to his client s remorse and early pleas in the episode to all charges filed against him The attorney commented the event was absolutely a tragedy and that Turner owned the mistake that he made and is as sorry as can be for what happened Turner also apologized to Gomez s family during the sentencing hearing I know she was loved beyond measure he reported Gomez s family members in attendance I am truly sorry that her life was caught short and for the pain that my actions have caused your family City News System