A California man has been sentenced to 135 years to life in jail after he killed four people and injured six others while driving drunk. 49-year-old Fred Lowe was convicted of seven felonies, including four charges of murder following the 2017 crash on Interstate Highway 80 in San Pablo.
Lowe sideswiped a Nissan Rogue sparking a five-vehicle crash that left four people dead. He drove away from the scene of the collision and police found his damaged car parked in a nearby residential neighborhood. They eventually tracked him down and took him into custody.
A blood test taken hours after the crash showed that Lowe's blood-alcohol content was .14, nearly twice the legal limit of .08. Officials estimate that at the time of the deadly crash, his blood-alcohol content was as high as .24.
Lowe has a lengthy history of drunk driving, having been convicted of DUI five previous times. His lawyers argued for a lenient sentence claiming he has a history of alcoholism and mental health issues.
“If he’s going to be an alcoholic, just go do that,” Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts said. “The problem is the driving.”
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