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Los Angeles Man in Fatal Palm Springs Crash Sentenced 19 Years to Life Prison
INDIO (CNS) – A Los Angeles man who caused a fatal Palm Springs crash in July while driving under the influence of alcohol was sentenced to nearly 20 years to life in prison Thursday.
Kevin Atteberry, 57, pleaded guilty on Dec. 22, 2022, to one felony count each of murder, driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury, and DUI of alcohol with 0.08% or more causing bodily injury, as well as one misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to court records. He additionally admitted to sentence-enhancing allegations of causing great bodily injury.
He was sentenced to 19 years and four months to life in prison Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Around 9:30 p.m. July 30, 2022, Atteberry was traveling south on Sunrise Way when his vehicle rear-ended another vehicle stopped at the intersection of East Palm Canyon Drive, according to the Palm Springs Police Department. The driver of the rear-ended vehicle, Burbank resident Erik Verdian, died at the scene.
According to a declaration in support of arrest filed by Officer Rhett Arden from the Palm Springs Police Department, a boy of an unspecified age was taken to the Loma Linda Medical Center with head and neck pain, a laceration on his right heel and a brain bleed.
Two other vehicles were also struck, but no other occupants were injured, according to Arden.
Atteberry is also suspected of causing a non-injury hit-and-run collision on North Sunrise Way and East Ramon Road prior to the fatal crash, according to Arden. He was taken to a hospital after the fact and according to Arden, spoke slow with slurred speech and had red, bloodshot or watery eyes, refusing to speak about events prior.
He received medical treatment for more than two months before he was released on Oct. 9 and surrendered at the police department, according to police.
Arden said Atteberry had a prior DUI conviction.
Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.
By: Pristine Villarreal
February 16, 2023
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