Woman sentenced in fatal Highway 41 crash in Fresno County. She was on meth and heroin
A 36-year-old woman was sentenced Wednesday in Fresno County for being intoxicated while driving during a car crash that ended with the death of a Clovis man, prosecutors said.
Amber Nicole Sexton of Hayfork was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for gross vehicular manslaughter, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Sexton was arrested Nov. 10, 2020, after the California Highway Patrol said she was driving the wrong way down Highway 41, helping trigger a four-vehicle crash.
Joel “Joey” Carillo Jr., 23, was killed in the crash, south of Harlan Avenue near Laton about 8:45 p.m., investigators said.
Sexton was taken into custody after the crash on suspicion of driving under the influence. At trial, she admitted to having used heroin and methamphetamine the morning of the crash, the DA’s office said.
Prosecutors said a test showed she was at least four times the limit of a potentially deadly cocktail of drugs.
Sexton was driving a Chevrolet pickup when it crossed into the northbound lane of Highway 41 and collided head-on with a Honda Civic driven by Carillo, according to the CHP account of the crash.
The Civic spun out of control and was struck by a Buick La Crosse.
The driver of a Ford Mustang swerved to avoid the truck and crashed into a metal fence, CHP said. No other drivers or passengers suffered serious injuries.
This story was originally published January 4, 2024 at 7:30 AM.
