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Wrong-way driver sentenced to prison

by K. Enrique • October 10, 2013

(Screenshot courtesy NBC)
(Screenshot courtesy NBC)

LOS ANGELES – A judge on Thursday imposed the maximum sentence on a 54-year-old man who drove his pickup truck the wrong way on the 14 Freeway in June and caused a pileup that seriously injured three local residents.

Rick Allen Walker was sentenced to seven years in state prison, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. Walker pleaded no contest on Aug. 19 to four counts of D.U.I. causing injury.

Walker admitted that he was driving under the influence on June 17 when he drove his 1998 Dodge Ram pickup the wrong way during rush hour traffic. Walker was traveling about 85 miles per hour when he entered the northbound lanes of the 14 Freeway, traveling  southbound from Escondido Canyon.

Walker passed two CHP officers working a traffic collision on the right shoulder, before crashing head on into a Dodge 2500 pickup truck.

The crash started a started a chain reaction collision that involved nine vehicles. Among the injured were Lancaster resident Fernando Lopez, 48, and Palmdale residents David Becker, 53, and Maryann Looram, 59.

Deputy District Attorney Ani Bailey of the San Fernando Branch Office prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the California Highway Patrol.

Previous related story: Drugged driver causes freeway pileup, local residents injured

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

7 comments

7 comments for "Wrong-way driver sentenced to prison"

  1. bull Sh... says

    October 11, 2013 at 7:31 am

    7years that’s wrong and they forgot I had read he was tested positive for meth but wait he is a white guy he only deserves 7seven years he should never be allowed to drive again in his life .

    • RR says

      October 11, 2013 at 8:24 am

      That’s the max allowed under the law. The color issue is yours and yours alone.

      • thebutcherlady1@hotmail.com says

        October 11, 2013 at 9:10 am

        I agree this is not racial except for the comment above

        • Yeah right says

          October 12, 2013 at 11:57 pm

          Yeah right if he was black you guys would be all talking sh….

      • JAy says

        October 13, 2013 at 8:55 pm

        They would throw in the 3 strike law

  2. dumbandblind says

    October 10, 2013 at 11:35 pm

    Never a shortage of stupidity in the AV.

    • Matt K says

      October 11, 2013 at 1:21 pm

      except that it wasn’t in the AV, [removed]!

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