A Julian man who was under the influence of prescription drugs when his vehicle fatally struck a woman in Lakeside was sentenced Monday to six years in state prison.
Joel Joseph Silva, 33, pleaded guilty in December to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of drugs causing great bodily injury
The victim, 34-year-old Kimberly Eakin, was struck around 5 p.m. on Nov. 29 as she walked along Woodside Avenue near Lindo Lake Park.
Eakin was hit by Silva’s westbound 2015 Toyota Rav4, which drifted off the roadway near Riverview Avenue. The defendant’s car also hit a metal pole, a light standard and a gate before coming to a stop, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities said Silva may have fallen asleep at the wheel before the crash. Amphetamines, Alprazolam and Oxycodone were still in Silva’s system three hours afterward, said Deputy District Attorney Steven Schott.
Investigators said they found several medication bottles inside the defendant’s SUV.
–City News Service
