GREENFIELD — Greenfield resident Gerardo Bautista Hernandez was sentenced on June 24 to eight years in state prison after pleading no contest to felony driving under the influence and causing injury.
Hernandez, 25, also admitted that he caused great bodily injury to four victims, that he has a prior DUI conviction, and his blood alcohol content was 0.15% or higher.
On Jan. 23, 2022, at about 6:14 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers responded to a head-on collision between a Toyota and a Saturn on northbound Highway 101 near Walnut Avenue in Greenfield. Officers contacted a mother and her three juvenile children in the Toyota, all of whom were injured.
The mother had several displaced rib fractures, a sternal fracture and an ankle fracture. The 15-year-old victim had significant internal injuries. The 9-year-old twin victims were airlifted to Valley Medical Center; the son had a fractured wrist and the daughter had a fractured elbow.
The driver of the Saturn, later identified as Hernandez, was found trapped in his vehicle. A subsequent chemical test revealed his BAC was .15%, almost twice the legal limit.
This case was prosecuted by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office specialized DUI Vertical Prosecution Unit. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.