Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Visalia Man Gets Life Sentence for DUI Crash That Killed Pregnant Mother and Her Baby
Anthony-Tries-Clothes-1
By Anthony W. Haddad
Published 3 months ago on
July 3, 2024

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)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

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.

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.

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.

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.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Houthis Vow Retaliation Against US for Yemen Airstrikes

DON'T MISS

Chavez-Quintero Debate: How Would You Rate City-County Cooperation?

DON'T MISS

Biden Talks Election, Economy and Middle East in Surprise News Briefing

DON'T MISS

Big Money Rolling in from Commercial Builders for Local School Bond Measure Campaigns

DON'T MISS

Behind the Scenes at Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s Sea Lion Cove: A Flipper-tastic Adventure

DON'T MISS

Clovis Daytime Burglary: 2 Suspects Arrested, 1 at Large

DON'T MISS

Trump Stalled California Wildfire Aid? Ex-Aide Reveals Political Motive

DON'T MISS

Costa Bill Opens Grants for Heavy Manufacturers to Start Using Hydrogen

DON'T MISS

Watch: Fresno County Supervisor District 3 Debate

DON'T MISS

Solar Flares May Cause Faint Auroras Across Top of Northern Hemisphere

UP NEXT

Chavez-Quintero Debate: How Would You Rate City-County Cooperation?

UP NEXT

Biden Talks Election, Economy and Middle East in Surprise News Briefing

UP NEXT

Big Money Rolling in from Commercial Builders for Local School Bond Measure Campaigns

UP NEXT

Behind the Scenes at Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s Sea Lion Cove: A Flipper-tastic Adventure

UP NEXT

Clovis Daytime Burglary: 2 Suspects Arrested, 1 at Large

UP NEXT

Trump Stalled California Wildfire Aid? Ex-Aide Reveals Political Motive

UP NEXT

Costa Bill Opens Grants for Heavy Manufacturers to Start Using Hydrogen

UP NEXT

Watch: Fresno County Supervisor District 3 Debate

UP NEXT

Solar Flares May Cause Faint Auroras Across Top of Northern Hemisphere

UP NEXT

Former County Sheriff Has Been Appointed to Lead the Los Angeles Police Force

Anthony W. Haddad,
Multimedia Journalist
Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and has an MBA at Fresno State, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.

Big Money Rolling in from Commercial Builders for Local School Bond Measure Campaigns

8 hours ago

Behind the Scenes at Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s Sea Lion Cove: A Flipper-tastic Adventure

8 hours ago

Clovis Daytime Burglary: 2 Suspects Arrested, 1 at Large

10 hours ago

Trump Stalled California Wildfire Aid? Ex-Aide Reveals Political Motive

10 hours ago

Costa Bill Opens Grants for Heavy Manufacturers to Start Using Hydrogen

10 hours ago

Watch: Fresno County Supervisor District 3 Debate

10 hours ago

Solar Flares May Cause Faint Auroras Across Top of Northern Hemisphere

11 hours ago

Former County Sheriff Has Been Appointed to Lead the Los Angeles Police Force

12 hours ago

Israeli Airstrikes Rock Southern Suburbs of Beirut and Cut Off a Key Crossing Into Syria

12 hours ago

Some California Stem Cell Clinics Use Unproven Therapies. A New Court Ruling Cracks Down.

12 hours ago

Houthis Vow Retaliation Against US for Yemen Airstrikes

Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, has vowed retaliation against the United States following a new round of strikes on Yemen. The U.S. ...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

Houthis Vow Retaliation Against US for Yemen Airstrikes

Challenger Luis Chavez and incumbent supervisor Sal Quintero debate in Fresno, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
7 hours ago

Chavez-Quintero Debate: How Would You Rate City-County Cooperation?

7 hours ago

Biden Talks Election, Economy and Middle East in Surprise News Briefing

8 hours ago

Big Money Rolling in from Commercial Builders for Local School Bond Measure Campaigns

8 hours ago

Behind the Scenes at Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s Sea Lion Cove: A Flipper-tastic Adventure

10 hours ago

Clovis Daytime Burglary: 2 Suspects Arrested, 1 at Large

10 hours ago

Trump Stalled California Wildfire Aid? Ex-Aide Reveals Political Motive

10 hours ago

Costa Bill Opens Grants for Heavy Manufacturers to Start Using Hydrogen

Search

Send this to a friend