Possibility Of Short Sentence For Teen Driver In South Bay Crash That Killed 5 Stirs Outrage: Report

LOS ANGELES, CA — Nearly three years after a deadly crash in Los Angeles claimed the lives of five teenagers, grieving family members expressed outrage that the teen who was driving the vehicle may only serve a nine-month sentence, KTLA reported.

The fatal crash happened at 4:12 a.m. June 26, 2023 after the vehicle the teens were traveling in collided with a barrier and erupted in flames on the Long Beach (710) Freeway near the Artesia (91) Freeway connector in San Pedro. CHP said some of the passengers were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected upon impact. Five of the six people in the car died.

The sole survivor was hospitalized with traumatic injuries.

Parents of the victims said alcohol, excessive speed, and recklessness were factors in the crash. Footage recently obtained from some of the teens’ cellphones appeared to support the families' claims, KTLA reported.

Because the driver, who has not been identified, was 16 at the time of the crash, he could not be tried as an adult, limiting his sentence to as little as nine months.

“I feel like justice needs to be served for his reckless behavior,” said Amanda Lopez, mother of 15-year-old Ariahh Slemaker, told KTLA. “I’m shocked...Do I want him to spend the rest of his life in prison? No, but I think some consequences need to be served. With his recklessness and his negligence, he should be charged as an adult."

Click here for the full story on KTLA.