David Edma, 30, of Visalia, was sentenced to life in prison for a 2018 DUI crash that killed a pregnant woman and her baby. (Tulare County DA's Office)
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A 30-year-old Visalia man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for a DUI crash that resulted in two deaths, the Tulare County District Attorney’s office said.
On June 15, 2018, California Highway Patrol officers responded to a head-on collision on State Highway 63, south of Avenue 392 near Cutler.
David Edma was found unconscious and pinned in his vehicle. The other vehicle carried a family: An adult male driver, his 20-weeks-pregnant wife, and their three minor children.
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The expectant mother was rushed to a hospital in Fresno where both she and her baby died after the child was delivered. The remaining family members suffered serious injuries, including broken clavicles, pulmonary contusions, broken hips, and a perforated bowel.
At the scene, a beer can was found between Edma’s legs, and subsequent tests revealed a blood-alcohol level of .24%, three times the legal limit. Edma had a prior misdemeanor DUI conviction from 2017 and was on probation for that offense at the time of the crash.
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Convicted of Two Counts of Second-Degree Murder
On March 12, Edma was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder with special allegations, including causing great bodily injury, using a deadly weapon (his car), committing the crime while on probation, and engaging in violent conduct indicating he is a serious danger to society.
He was also convicted of felony DUI with great bodily injury for the male driver and three children, misdemeanor driving while his license was suspended, and unlawful vehicle operation.
As part of his 2017 DUI sentence, Edma had enrolled in drunk driving classes and signed a Watson Admonishment, which warned of the potential for murder charges if he killed someone while driving under the influence.
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According to California sentencing laws, Edma must serve 30 years in custody, not including California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation credits, before he can be considered for parole.
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