LAS VEGAS, Nev. (DDN) – A judge ruled Thursday that a man who drove drunk at 140 mph and caused a fatal crash, splitting another driver’s car in two, will spend a minimum of four years in prison.
On March 22, 2024, Charlie Hernandez was driving fast in a Dodge Challenger on Las Vegas Boulevard close to Cheyenne Avenue when he collided with a Hyundai Accent that was turning from Walnut Road onto the boulevard. According to police, the impact of the crash resulted in the Hyundai splitting into two pieces, while the Challenger rolled over.
Luciano Chavez, 38, who was driving a Hyundai, lost his life in the accident. A passenger sustained serious injuries, according to police reports at that time.
Documents revealed that investigators looking into the Challenger’s internal computer discovered the car was going 140 mph just three seconds before the airbags went off. Hernandez was reportedly pushing the accelerator all the way down. Just a millisecond before the crash, the car was going 127 mph.
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On Thursday, Judge Bita Yeager of the Clark County District Court sentenced Hernandez to a term of 4 to 12 years.
“I messed up. I wish I could take every back, but I know I can’t,” Hernandez told Yeager before she sentenced him. Hernandez added he believed he was the least impaired in a group of people after a party and made a poor decision.
Hernandez has recently welcomed a new baby and, according to him and his lawyer, he had no prior criminal history before the accident.
Chavez came to the United States from Guatemala and was employed as a chef, according to his family. His two brothers communicated in Spanish using a translator.
Before making her announcement, Yeager noted that the 140-mile-per-hour figure stood out among the DUI cases she encounters.
“I don’t think that this is the type of case where the minimums are appropriate,” she said.
Hernandez will be able to apply for parole in 2029, taking into account the time he has already served. Family members wept in the courtroom as Yeager announced her decision.
Reference: Las Vegas man gets 4-12 years for driving drunk at 140 mph, killing chef, splitting car in half
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