A truck driver responsible for a crash that killed seven farmworkers in Oregon was sentenced to nearly 50 years in prison on Tuesday.
Judge Daniel Wren of Marion County Circuit Court handed down a sentence of 48 years and 3 months to Lincoln Smith, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Smith was found guilty in February of seven counts of second-degree manslaughter, three counts of assault, and reckless driving. However, he was acquitted of driving under the influence.
During the trial, Smith admitted that he had dozed off at the wheel but claimed the drugs he took the night before had worn off. Toxicology reports found traces of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and morphine in his system after the accident.
The tragic collision occurred in May 2023 when Smith’s truck crashed into a van carrying 11 farmworkers. The van had been parked on the side of Interstate 5 near Albany, an agricultural area in the Willamette Valley.
The seven victims were identified as Juan Carlos Leyva-Carrillo, Gabriel Juarez-Tovilla, Alejandra Espinoza-Carpio, Eduardo Lopez-Lopez, Luis Enrique Gomez-Reyes, Alejandro Jimenez-Hernandez, and Josue Garcia-Garcia. They ranged in age from 30 to 58.
In court, Smith expressed remorse, stating that he wished he could trade his life for any of the victims’, as reported by KGW-TV.
Albany is located about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Portland. Interstate 5 is a major highway that runs along the West Coast.
