Andy Van Pham, a 32-year-old Lyft driver, pleaded guilty this week and was immediately sentenced to 250 hours of community service for falling asleep behind the wheel and then causing a crash that killed Margie Quibol, a 70-year-old resident of Tustin.
Pham pleaded guilty on Monday to misdemeanor charges of vehicular manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance. Charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawfully providing false information to a police officer, were dismissed as part of a plea deal, along with an infraction for making an unsafe turn or lane change.
The fatal crash happened at about 7 a.m. on April 4, 2021, near Jamboree Road and Patriot Way, in Tustin, according to the Tustin police.
Pham slammed his car into a light pole, after he fell asleep at the wheel. The passenger was identified as , according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Pham was originally sentenced to 44 days in jail for the manslaughter, but he got credit for the time he served in jail, before he bailed out. He was sentenced to one month in jail on the drug charge, but that won’t have to be served if he completes the community service by June 11. Pham is no longer working for Lyft after the crash.
