Drunk Driver Kills Two, Sentenced to Probation by Fresno County Judge

Published on January 24, 2025

Today, on January 24, 2025, Eugene Roebuck III (24, of Fresno) was sentenced to probation for two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The crash occurred on northbound State Route 99 near McKinley Avenue, resulting in the death of two young victims. Roebuck’s sentence was handed down by Judge Charles J. Lee of the Fresno County Superior Court after he pled to the charges on June 6, 2024.

On September 3, 2022, at just before 6 am on SR-99, a witness observed Roebuck weaving through traffic at extreme rates of speed. He then made an unsafe lane change in front of another vehicle, colliding with its front-left end and sending it off the road where it crashed into a tree. The male driver (20, of Mendota) and female passenger (18, of Mendota), both died in the crash. The female victim was pregnant at the time. The California Highway Patrol investigation determined that Roebuck’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.08% about two hours after the crash. CHP later retrieved data from his vehicle which revealed that he was travelling at a rate of 115 MPH prior to the crash.

Roebuck faced a maximum sentence of 12 years in state prison. However, Judge Charles J. Lee exercised his discretion to grant Roebuck probation. Judge Lee also ordered that Roebuck serve an additional ten days in jail. The sentence was handed down over the objections of the District Attorney’s Office and the family members of the victims, who were present in court for the sentencing.

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the California Highway Patrol for their investigative work and dedication to this case.

Since the beginning of 2025, Fresno County has experienced a troubling surge in fatal crashes involving impaired driving, with 8 DUI-related deaths reported so far. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office urges the public to remember that driving under the influence is never safe and can have devastating consequences. This case was successfully prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Christopher Moss. The case was prosecuted as a part of the Alcohol and Drug Impaired Driver Vertical Prosecution Program. Funding for that program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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