SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A Caddo Parish Jury on Friday convicted a Vivian man of downgraded charges in the May 2018 death of his girlfriend and injury of a passenger in his car.
Daniel McBride, 39, was charged with vehicular homicide in the May 26, 2018, death of 34-year-old Sonja Martin, and with first-degree negligent injury of the passenger, but after three hours of deliberation late Friday night, the five-woman one-man jury returned guilty verdicts on the lesser charges of negligent homicide and vehicular injury.
If the jury had convicted McBride on the vehicular homicide charge, he would be facing from five to 30 years at hard labor and a fine of from $2,000 up to $15,000, but since the jury downgraded the charge, he will only face up to five years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.
The original charge of first-degree vehicular negligent injury charge carries with it an up to five-year sentence and an up to $2,000 fine; the lesser charge of vehicular injury is a misdemeanor, carries with it a sentence of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
During the two-day trial that began Thursday, jurors heard testimony from the state’s 17 witnesses that included a crash reconstruction expert, a forensic pathology expert and a forensic toxicology expert.
According to prosecutors, McBride drove through a stop sign at West Georgia and South Spruce streets in Vivian, where his car was T-boned by a pickup truck that had the right-of-way.
Martin was rushed to North Caddo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, the injured passenger also was taken to North Caddo Medical Center where he was treated for a broken arm.
McBride was given field sobriety tests at the scene, and then taken to the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s North Substation for further toxicology tests, which determined that McBride had a blood alcohol level of 0.185 grams percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 grams percent.
McBride, who will be formally sentenced Wednesday, was defended by Michael Enright and Dave Knadler, and Assistant District Attorneys William Gaskins and Brittany Arvie, prosecuted the case.
