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A 54-year-old Californian trucker, Lincoln Smith, who was found guilty of the manslaughter of 7 farmworkers who died and the assault of 3 who were injured in a May 18, 2023 crash after Smith crashed his commercial truck into a van parked alongside Interstate 5 in February, has been sentenced to over 48 years in jail.
Farmworkers Juan Carlos Leyva-Carrillo, Gabriel Juarez-Tovilla, Alejandra Espinoza-Carpio, Eduardo Lopez-Lopez, Luis Enrique Gomez-Reyes, Alejandro Jimenez Hernandez, and Josue Garcia-Garcia were killed in the crash on the Interstate 5 and three others were seriously injured.
During the trial, Smith testified that he had used methamphetamine and cocaine the night before the crash while partying with hitchhikers picked up during his trip.
Further evidence indicated that Smith began to feel tired about two hours before the crash but didn’t stop to rest. He fell asleep while driving his semi-truck on Interstate 5.
The DA’s office said Smith’s blood tested positive for methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl after the crash, but he was acquitted of driving under the influence of intoxicants. Smith was found guilty of seven counts of second-degree manslaughter and three counts of third-degree assault.
This week, he was sentenced to 579 months with the Oregon Department of Corrections, including 75 months for each charge of manslaughter and 18 months for each assault charge. Smith’s sentence must be served consecutively without the possibility of a reduced sentencing. Smith, 54, will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.
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