MADERA, Calif. (AP) - A Madera County judge has sentenced a parolee to 96 years to life in prison for a DUI crash that killed three casino workers in August 2009.
The Fresno Bee (https://bit.ly/1gdguzP ) reports 36-year-old Justin Rice of Ventura County was sentenced Friday.
Authorities said Rice was driving a pickup truck on Highway 41 when he crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a vehicle carrying five women.
The collision killed 39-year-old Estella Frias, 38-year-old Elena Mendoza and 36-year-old Maria Flores-Rodriguez. Two others were injured. The three women who died were headed to Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in Coarsegold.
Prosecutors say on Jan. 9 Rice was convicted of nine counts, including three counts of second-degree murder. Rice was on parole on several charges, including child endangerment and assault on his mother.
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Information from: The Fresno Bee, https://www.fresnobee.com
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