A 34-year-old lawyer was sentenced on Friday, Jan. 9 to one year in jail and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service for a DUI crash that killed a United States Postal Service driver in Garden Grove.<\/p>\n
Lotfullah Sohaib Latif faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to a news release issued after his conviction in October by the Orange County District Attorney\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Latif was driving nearly 90 mph on the 22 Freeway, near the 405 freeway and Valley View Street, seconds before \u201cveering off the highway and colliding with the guard rail,\u201d around 3:55 a.m. on June 9, 2019, prosecutors said in a trial brief.<\/p>\n
He \u201cveered back onto the road\u201d as the vehicle was disabled in the eastbound lanes. Carlos Alberto Lara, 58, crashed a semi-trailer tractor truck into the disabled vehicle and slammed into a pole, causing the truck to \u201cburst into flames,\u201d prosecutors said. Lara died at the scene.<\/p>\n
When CHP officers contacted Latif on the right shoulder of the 22 freeway, he denied drinking or having been involved in a collision, according to the DA\u2019s news release.<\/p>\n
Latif\u2019s defense attorney argued Latif tried to get the vehicle off the freeway but his vehicle was stuck. He also tried to turn on the hazard and headlights, his lawyer said in court papers.<\/p>\n
A breath test showed Latif\u2019s blood-alcohol level at .09% but a blood test showed it under the legal limit, his attorney said.<\/p>\n
Latif was convicted Oct. 20 of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in Lara\u2019s death, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08% or more causing injury.<\/p>\n
Jurors also found true sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury on the victim.<\/p>\n
Latif was given until Jan. 23 to begin the jail sentence.<\/p>\n
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