Sentences revealed in 2 fatal Phoenix crash cases

PHOENIX — Two men were sentenced to prison terms for causing fatal crashes in Phoenix in separate cases, County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced on Monday.

Jesus Soto, 25, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of manslaughter (a class two dangerous felony) and one count of leaving the scene of a fatal injury accident (a class two felony).

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Soto was driving 85 mph with his two nephews in the car when he crashed into another vehicle earlier this year. Authorities said Soto did not help the victim or his nephews and instead ran from the scene at the intersection of Union Hills Drive and 15th Avenue.

The victim suffered a traumatic brain injury and later died, according to authorities.

What happened in the other Phoenix fatal crash case?

Eladio Hernandez, 33, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of manslaughter and one count of endangerment (a class six felony).

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Hernandez was making a left turn onto 27th Avenue and did not yield. The 33-year-old was driving with his blood alcohol concentration at nearly twice the legal limit when he caused a motorcyclist to crash into the side of his truck, which fatally injured the motorcyclist.

With these two crashes in mind, Mitchell wants to remind holiday travelers to drive safely amid the stressors this time of year can bring.

“Both of these crashes were preventable, yet the defendants’ actions caused irreparable damage to the victims and their families,”  Mitchell said in a release.

“The holidays are a stressful time for many, and that stress often shows up on our roadways as speeding, aggressive driving, driving under the influence and other dangerous behaviors. One of the best things we can do for each other this holiday season is to drive responsibly.”

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