A Vivian man accused of killing his girlfriend while driving impaired was convicted late Friday, March 25, 2022, in Caddo District Court in connection with the death.
Daniel Leonard McBride, 39, originally faced charges of vehicular homicide and first-degree vehicular negligent injuring in connection with the May 26, 2018 motor vehicle crash that killed Sonja Martin, 34, also of Vivian, his passenger and girlfriend. The five-woman, one-man jury in District Judge Chris Victory’s court deliberated three hours before returning guilty verdicts on lesser included charges of negligent homicide and vehicular negligent injuring.
The trial commenced March 24, 2022. The jury heard evidence from 17 witnesses, including a crash reconstruction expert, a forensic pathology expert and a forensic toxicology expert. The evidence showed that Mr. McBride drove through a stop sign, where his car was T-boned by a pickup truck that had the right-of-way. Ms, Martin died at the scene. The pickup truck driver also suffered injuries in the collision. McBride had a blood alcohol level of 0.185 grams percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 grams percent.
When Mr. McBride returns to Judge Victory’s court for sentencing March 30, 2022, he faces up to five years imprisonment, with or without hard labor, and/or a fine of up to $5,000 for the negligent homicide conviction, and up to six months in the parish jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000 for the vehicular negligent injuring conviction.
McBride was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys William Gaskins and Brittany Arvie. He was defended by Michael Enright and Dave Knadler.
