Driver Convicted of Murder in Fatal Crash
A35-year-old man was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder for causing a traffic accident that killed a Sylmar woman and seriously injured three others.
Prosecutors said Paul Dewey, who had four prior convictions of driving under the influence of alcohol, was drunk when he drove his truck into the back of the car in which the victims were riding.
Sylvia Martinez, 39, a passenger in the car, was killed instantly in the May 21, 1988, accident at Hubbard Street and Eldridge Avenue in Sylmar.
The driver of the car, Martha Calderon, 27, suffered major facial injuries and her daughter, Margaret Calderon, 8 months, suffered multiple fractures and internal bleeding. Another passenger, Jerry Ortiz, 6, suffered stomach, neck and head injuries.
After the jury verdict, Dewey, of Santa Barbara, was ordered to return to Van Nuys Superior Court on July 28. He faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
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