19-year-old man sentenced for death of Marine and Fallbrook woman

VISTA - A 19-year-old man who caused a chain-reaction freeway crash that killed a Marine and a young woman was sentenced today to 15 years in state prison.

Oscar Tinoco pleaded guilty several months ago to gross vehicular manslaughter, drunken driving and other charges.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the chain of events began about 4 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2009, when a sedan rear-ended a Jeep Cherokee carrying four Marines on Interstate 15, near Gopher Canyon Road.

After the Marines got out of the Jeep, a car driven by Tinoco knocked one of the servicemen off an overpass and onto Gopher Canyon Road, CHP Officer Eric Newbury said.

Lance Cpl. Robert T. Austin, 19, died in an operating room at Palomar Medical Center.

Tinoco and a passenger ran off, and an SUV driven by Sarah Garcia of Fallbrook -- who was celebrating her 22nd birthday -- slammed into the defendant's car and rolled down an embankment.

Garcia, who was one exit away from getting off the freeway, died at the scene, said Deputy District Attorney Jodi Breton.

Tinoco's blood-alcohol level tested at .08 percent -- the state's threshold for drunken driving -- more than two hours after the collision, meaning it was probably .12 percent or .13 percent when he was driving, Breton said.

The defendant also pleaded guilty to hit-and-run causing two deaths, DUI causing injury and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher and causing injuries.