Mission Viejo Man Sentenced In Lake Forest DUI Murder

MISSION VIEJO, CA — A Mission Viejo driver who slammed into a minivan and killed a mother of three was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on Friday.

William Joseph Carroll, 51, was convicted of second- degree murder on Nov. 13. He apologized to the victim's family during his sentencing hearing.

He had a blood-alcohol level of 0.23 -- nearly three times the legal limit -- when his Ford F-250 pickup truck slammed into a Toyota Sienna minivan driven by 36-year-old Ana Martinez about 11:40 p.m. on May 7, 2013, according to Deputy District Attorney Daniel Feldman.

Martinez, who was driving to work at the time, was "crushed to death" in the crash, Feldman told jurors.

The prosecutor said Carroll was making a left turn from El Toro Road to Santa Margarita Parkway when he veered into oncoming traffic. A witness told investigators that Carroll ran a red light.

Witnesses "describe Mr. Carroll's truck like a train out of nowhere," Feldman said, adding that the force of the collision was like "100 mph" when combining the speeds of both vehicles.

Defense attorney Sara Ross argued it was " a case of government overreach." She maintained that her client was "responsible for the killing of Ana Martinez, but he's not guilty of murder."

Both drivers attempted to avoid each other, she said, telling jurors that the intersection is "a bit confusing."

Feldman said Carroll was charged with second-degree murder rather than vehicular manslaughter because when he was convicted of DUI on Sept. 11, 2008, he was warned he would be charged with murder in the event of involvement in a DUI-related death.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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