BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 A man who fled to Mexico after a deadly drunk driving crash that killed a Kern High School District police chief has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.<\/p>\n
David Lopez Lilly was sentenced after entering a no contest plea to second-degree murder in the June 17, 2011 death of Chief Steven Alvidrez.<\/p>\n
On that day, Lilly was driving while heavily intoxicated at speeds between 90 and 100 miles per hour on Highway 99 near Pond Road when he rear-ended the motorcycle Alvidrez and his wife were riding.<\/p>\n
Alvidrez died at the scene while his wife was seriously injured.<\/p>\n
Authorities say Lilly fled to Mexico just weeks after the crash, remaining a fugitive for nearly 14 years before being extradited back to the U.S. last year.<\/p>\n
“There was a lot of prayer that was happening and hoping that we would get closure one day,” Kristin Peyton, Alvidrez’s daughter, said.<\/p>\n
“So being here today and having lived in so many years have gone by. It’s been, it just feels nice. It feels good to have that closure and that peace.”<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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