A former California lawyer has been convicted over a deadly crash that killed a semi truck driver on the 22 Freeway in Garden Grove back in 2019.
What happened: Around 4 a.m. on June 9, 2019, the California Highway Patrol got calls about a gray Honda Accord stopped without lights in the middle lanes. Just minutes later, a big rig slammed into the car near the 405 freeway interchange, and the semi caught fire.
- The truck driver, Carlos Alberto Lara, 58, passed away at the scene.
- Officers found evidence placing the driver, Lotfullah Sohaib Latif, at the crash. Latif denied he was drinking, but officers smelled alcohol, found car parts, and saw signs his car was going 89 mph just seconds before hitting a guardrail.
The conviction: On October 20, 2025, Latif was found guilty of several felonies, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing injury. He also faces charges for causing great bodily injury, according to a press release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
"If this defendant had made the right decision, Mr. Lara would have been able to go home safely to his family that night," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, reported the DA's office.
Latif is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2026, where he faces up to ten years in state prison.