Selma man who killed woman in DUI crash sentenced, faces added penalty after release
A Selma man who admitted to driving drunk and causing a fatal crash on Highway 180 was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years and four months in prison.
Jose Fernandez-Martinez, 41, pleaded no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or more. When tested at the hospital, his BAC was .38, nearly five times the legal limit.
“In my time prosecuting DUIs that is the highest BAC I have seen from a person driving,” said Deputy Disrict Attorney Stephen Ueltzen.
Authorities said the crash happened on July 29, 2019 at about 1 p.m. as Fernandez-Martinez was driving his 2004 Chevrolet Blazer westbound on 180 east of Rio Vista Drive near Minkler. Fernandez-Martinez suddenly veered into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with a 2011 Ford Explorer driven by Jose Sandoval, 58. Inside Sandoval’s car was his wife Rosario Montalvo, 47, and two adult children, Yesenia Montalvo, 21, and Jose Sandoval Jr., 25, both of Fresno.
The impact of the crash killed Rosario Montalvo who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jose Sandoval wanted to be at Fernandez-Martinez’s sentencing, but he is still recuperating from the crash that left him unable to walk. Yesenia and her brother Jose Jr. also suffered major injuries.
“The injuries suffered by this family are catastrophic, including the loss of the mother of the family,” Ueltzen said. “Jose Sr. also wanted the court to know that he will have forever lost his wife of 25 years and there is nothing that this court can do to give that back to him.”
The Spanish-speaking Fernandez-Martinez sat silently through the hearing as a court interpreter translated what was being said. His attorney Virna L. Santos said her client was sorry for the pain he has caused .
“He is very contrite about what happened,” Santos said. “And he wants to use this time to address the problem that led to him being in a position to commit this offense, so it doesn’t happen again.”
Santos said her client faces the added consequence of deportation to his home country after he completes his prison sentence.
