FRESNO – A Reedley man has been sentenced for his involvement in a fiery DUI-related crash that left several people severely injured and another dead.
On July 9, Jesus Rosendo Zeferino, 25, was sentenced to 13 years in prison following a guilty plea in May. He was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving with a blood alcohol level above the legal maximum, causing great bodily harm.
The circumstance occurred last year on Oct. 19, 2024. Zeferino was driving eastbound on Manning Avenue east of Orange Cove. He was travelling at approximately 80 to 90 miles per hour with three passengers in his car.Â
Eli Abraham Lopez Lopez, 27, of Kingsburg, was stopped at a stop sign at Manning Avenue and Hill Avenue. Zeferino failed to stop, slamming into the rear of Lopez Lopez’s car, sending it through the intersection where it caught fire. A passenger in the car managed to escape but suffered severe burns. Lopez Lopez was killed.Â
Zeferino’s vehicle collided with a second vehicle that was headed westbound on Manning Avenue before coming to a stop. All of the passengers in Zeferino’s car were injured, including one who was air-lifted to a local hospital.
During the initial investigation, the California Highway Patrol determined that Zeferino had a blood alcohol level of 0.16%, twice the legal level.Â
Senior Deputy District Attorney Steven Ueltzen and Senior District Attorney Investigator Randall Paulson prosecuted the case.Â
