LANCASTER – A 24-year-old Lancaster man was convicted Thursday of driving under the influence of alcohol and killing a man who was traveling home from work, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
![Jeffrey Cole Brooks was arrested shortly after the fiery crash. [LUIS MEZA]](https://theavtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Fiery-crash-Palmdale-3-300x209.jpg)
Deputy District Attorney Daniel Rochmes, who prosecuted the case, said on the evening of September 26, 2014, Brooks drove his 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution to the Park and Ride on Avenue S in Palmdale to meet friends.
The group was taking a “party bus” to a club in Los Angeles.
According to court testimony, Brooks began drinking alcohol in the parking lot before boarding the bus and while on the bus. When Brooks arrived at the club, he continued to drink with his friends, the prosecutor said.
At the end of the night, the bus transported Brooks and his friends back to Palmdale and dropped them off at the Park and Ride. Although his friends warned him he was too drunk to drive, Brooks got into the driver’s seat of his car and exited the parking lot onto Avenue S, according to the prosecutor.
As Brooks drove eastbound at high speeds, he rear-ended Orellana, who was stopped at a red light on his commute home from work. The impact of the collision caused Orellana’s car to burst into flames and spin across the intersection, the prosecutor said.
At trial, an expert collision reconstructionist with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department testified that Brooks was driving more than 88 miles per hour when he struck Orellana. Additionally, a sheriff’s department criminalist testified that Brooks’ blood-alcohol level was between 0.27% and 0.30% at the time of the collision.
Furthermore, at the time of the crash, Brooks was on probation in San Diego County for alcohol-related reckless driving. He had attended court-ordered DUI education classes, which emphasized the dangers of driving under the influence, the prosecutor said.
Sentencing for Brooks is scheduled for July 1 in Department A18 at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Antelope Valley Branch. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years to life in state prison.
Previous related stories:
Man charged with murder for fiery crash, victim’s family pleads for justice
Family mourns man killed in fiery Palmdale crash
1 dead, 1 arrested after fiery rear-end crash in Palmdale
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inquiringminds says
Anybody know the case number for this trial?
Anonymous says
The case number is MA064589.
dumbandblind says
Another fast and furious wanna be!
IHeartSmartPeople says
2nd degree because this isn’t premeditated murder. If you don’t like it, move to Iran where they have public executions of petty thieves. Trust me, this guy is hating his life.
JUSTICE WARRIOR says
MOST LIKELY HE WILL HAVE SOME MEXICAN MEAT WAITING FOR HIM, IF YOURE KILL A MEXICAN AND YOUR WHITE ITS GOINA BE ALL BAD, MEXICAN MAFIA RUN ALL PRISONS IN CA
johnae says
This pos killed an innocent person for his selfishness don’t feel bad for him all u saying he was misjudged are probably just like him drunks defending drunks they should give him life that way we won’t have to worry about him killing more innocent people
Tm says
Maybe if he would have taken his friends advise about not driving that night, he wouldn’t have taken a life…..and he’s not the only one who drinks and drives, I see plenty of people make bad choices, its just a matter of time before the consequences catch up
she's wrong says
it’s not about right or wrong because the young man was definitely wrong but the jury is not supposed to speak out about a case and it seems like she convicted the young man off of the family’s crying and not the evidence and if that’s the case the young man can actually go back to court and ask for a retrial because of her neglect and speaking out about the case the case is not closed because he has not been sentenced yet she is the one who’s being careless
anonymous says
Retrial? Are you kidding? Drunk , and seen on video? The guys in the gas station requesting from the same guy who killed daniel to help them save him from the fire and his response was… His already dead. [removed] out here.
zuki says
what? really he has no remorse for what he did. here let me tell you something white boy my uncle went trough the same killed someone when he was driving buz and buz driving is drunk driving and he got 20 years in prison. do it dont matter your a$$ is ganna be locked up for a long time good we dont need these kind of people killing innocnet people.
Solo man says
I deeply feel bad for Daniel’s family . He looked like a loved kid and I’m sure his memory will always haunt his family. I too pass by there regularly, the melted asphalt still there. A loved one passing is never a call one wants to receive. Rip Daniel.
not a good jury says
if you were on the jury why would you post a comment I hope I never have to have a jury trial and you are on it because boy is not going to be good
Shane Falco says
Once jurors have completed their time on a case, they are free to speak about the case openly.
This case was fairly open and shut. Dude is ETOH at .27-.30, and his friends begged him not to drive, and he’s already on probation for a DUI, and had DUI classes about the dangers.
Perhaps you wanted the jury to find him not guilty…?
Sha says
Exactly! Anyone in that trial every day knows this… Thank you!
Sha says
Sorry you feel that way. A life was stolen because of neglect and carelessness. He killed an innocent person! I am happy that it was 2nd degree and not a higher charge. The look in his family’s eyes you could tell they were hurting but so was the victims family who lost their son because of this tragic night! Justice was served!
VXSGuy says
Because of his neglect and selfless act he should have gotten a higher charge. He was on probation for alcohol related reckless driving and made the decision to drive and drive recklessly again. There’s no excuse for a lighter charge. The family that lost is hurting. The family that he is alive let’s just say he is among the living. There is nothing he can say except “I’m guilty and will accept my punishment; even if it’s life.” “I’m Sorry” to the family doesn’t even make amends. 15 years to life…the judge should give him 25+ years for the death and violating his probation. It’s time for the AV to stand-up and say enough is enough. 21 years old on his way home from work and stopped a red light…
Sha says
You need to remember, we as the jury were only responsible for a guilty or not guilty verdict in 2nd degree murder… We has no choice in the charge and made a verdict on what we were given tas to his one and only charge…
vote for Trump says
Then why did you say it was hard for you to convicted of second-degree murder keep your mouth shut you shouldn’t speak out
Shane Falco says
Actually, people should speak out about juror experience.
Conscientious jurors know that they weigh the evidence and there was a tremendous amount of evidence pointing to this guys guilt. He killed somebody through his own deliberate actions and had many chances and other voices around him trying to steer him from his fate.
This murderer wasn’t thinking about his family when he was making bad decision on top of the mountain of other bad decisions he had made in the past. However, the jurors know that if/when they find him guilty, a judge will sentence him.
That is going to impact the murderer’s family. So it’s often difficult doing your duty and doing the right thing when you know that it will hurt others.
I get the feeling you probably won’t ever be in that position, thus you won’t understand.
Sha says
As one of the jurors yesterday, I want to send prayers to both families. I know both sides are hurting from the careless actions of Mr. Brooks. This was a hard decision but we had to serve justice for Daniel.
ANNON says
Brooks deserves nothing less than life. Everyday i go to work i go pass the accident scene and the ground is still is dis-ray from the accident. A reminder to me what has happened and a young man’s life gone so tragically too soon. I can’t speak for the young man’s family feelings, but i can sure imagine how they feel. And obviously, Brooks took classes to no avail. Lock the POS up for life!
J says
I hope they give this a**hole life! Somebody that stupid should not have been given a driver’s license!
oyuki says
He probably didn’t even have a license that shows everyone that drunk drivers come in all colors he made a choice and now he should suffer the consequences