Oxnard Woman Sentenced to Two Years for High Speed Fatal Racing Crash

A 24 year old Oxnard woman has been ordered to serve two years in state prison following a high speed street racing incident that turned deadly. Ricki Newton received her sentence on Thursday in Santa Barbara County Superior Court after pleading guilty to one felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter. The decision by Judge Von Deroian came after a lengthy hearing where prosecutors fought for prison time while the defense argued for probation.

Racing at 113 MPH on the 101 Freeway

The tragic chain of events began in the early morning hours of August 13, 2023. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Newton was driving a Toyota Camry southbound on Highway 101 near Montecito. Investigators determined she was traveling at approximately 113 miles per hour while allegedly attempting to race a friend. As the three lane highway merged into two lanes near the Olive Mill Road exit, Newton lost control of her vehicle.

Her car slammed into a Mercury Mountaineer that was not involved in the race. The force of the impact was so severe that it sent the SUV careening over a steep embankment. The passenger of the Mountaineer, 77 year old Louis Hernandez Jr. of Santa Paula, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the SUV survived but required extrication by firefighters and suffered moderate injuries.

A Community and Family Grieve

During the sentencing, family members of Louis Hernandez Jr. spoke movingly about the man they lost. They described him as a dedicated, hardworking father and uncle who had spent his life building a better future for his family in Santa Paula. District Attorney John Savrnoch emphasized that the case serves as a grim reminder that a single "brief bad decision" behind the wheel can have life altering consequences for innocent bystanders.

Newton, who was 22 at the time of the crash, has been held in the Santa Barbara County Jail since her sentencing. While the maximum sentence for her charge could have been up to six years, the judge ultimately settled on the two year term. The California Highway Patrol, which investigated the crash, originally suspected DUI was a factor, though Newton ultimately pleaded to the manslaughter charge as the primary felony.