SANTA ANA : Man Sentenced for Leading Fatal Chase

A 22-year-old Orange man who was fleeing from police when he caused a traffic accident that left two dead was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life in prison.

Scott Alden Whitson apologized for his actions on that day, before Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard L. Weatherspoon handed down one prison term of 15 years to life for each victim. The terms will be served concurrently.

Whitson and a friend, who had just stolen a car stereo, were trying to flee police late June 11, 1993, when Whitson crashed into another car in Fountain Valley. Killed were Derick Romo, 26, of Moreno Valley, a passenger in Whitson’s car, and Janice Diehm, 46, of Fountain Valley, who was driving the car they hit.

Diehm, a marriage and family counselor, had been out to dinner with her husband that night and was driving home their son’s caretaker when the crash occurred.

When she did not immediately return home, Diehm’s husband went looking for her and came across the crash scene, according to trial testimony.

Prosecutors decided to seek the harshest penalty against Whitson because he was speeding up to 80 m.p.h. with his headlights off and ran several red lights before the crash.

A jury convicted Whitson in October of two counts of second-degree murder.

Defense attorney Gary Pohlson could not be reached for comment late Friday.

Pohlson had argued at trial that Whitson should only be convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter, and on Friday asked a judge to reduce the murder penalty.

He argued that Whitson is “functionally retarded” and was urged by his passengers to speed from police.