A 23-year-old Fresno woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than a decade in state prison for a 2021 drunk driving crash that killed one passenger and seriously injured three others, the Fresno District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Malakeh Ghaleb Jaber received a sentence of 10 years and four months after pleading guilty in May to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing great bodily injury, prosecutors said.

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Fresno County Superior Court Judge Houry Sanderson handed down the sentence.

Details Surrounding the Incident

The crash happened on Aug. 7, 2021, around 11:30 p.m., when Jaber — then 19 — was speeding southbound on Chestnut Avenue near Herndon Avenue with four passengers in her vehicle.

She failed to navigate a curve, struck a light pole, and caused the car to roll. All passengers were ejected except for Jaber.

Andre Aguilar, 22, of Fresno, died at a local hospital. The other three passengers, aged 20, 20, and 21, sustained major injuries.

Prosecutors said one suffered severe leg fractures that may result in lifelong disability. Another was hospitalized for 45 days with brain trauma and fractures. The third experienced scalp lacerations and ankle injuries.

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Fresno police responding to the crash said Jaber showed signs of alcohol impairment. Prosecutors said officers also recovered a fake ID in the gutter next to the overturned car.

Jaber initially denied drinking, citing religious beliefs, but later tests confirmed her blood alcohol content was above 0.08%.

A follow-up investigation by the Fresno Police Department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit uncovered photos and videos of Jaber drinking earlier that night, including one showing her “shotgunning” a White Claw hard seltzer and stomping on the can. Vehicle data revealed she was driving approximately 94 mph in a 35-mph zone at the time of the crash.

Investigators said Jaber had left a birthday party with three friends before picking up Aguilar to head to another gathering. The crash happened just blocks from Aguilar’s home.

Prosecutors believe Aguilar was possibly unaware that Jaber had been drinking.

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Fresno DA Issues a Serious Reminder

Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said the tragedy is a reminder of the consequences of impaired driving, especially during the summer.

“A night of fun with friends should never end in the death or serious injury of those you care about — or you being sent to prison,” Smittcamp said in a statement. “If you’ve been drinking, call a rideshare, phone a friend, or designate a sober driver. One bad decision behind the wheel can have lifelong consequences.”

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