Goshen Woman on Probation for Texting While Driving Manslaughter Conviction Sent to Prison for DUI

On May 13, 2021, in Department 3 of the Tulare County Superior Court, the court sentenced Ana Gomez, age 27, to two years in state prison for violating her terms of probation stemming from a 2019 vehicular manslaughter conviction.

On October 19, 2020, Gomez was arrested for DUI by the Visalia Police Department with a BAC of .21. On March 5, 2021, Gomez pleaded no contest to misdemeanor DUI and was sentenced to time served. The conviction was in violation of her probation for prior a crime in which a jury convicted her in late 2018 of one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one infraction count of driving while using an electronic communications device. Around midday on October 28, 2015, Gomez was travelling northbound on Road 52 towards Goshen when she ran the stop sign at Avenue 304, pulling her vehicle directly into the path of an oncoming motorcycle operated by the 65-year-old victim. Gomez failed to break and took no evasive action, resulting in a collision with the victim. Gomez and her vehicle came to a stop in a field around 170 feet away from the impact. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Cell phone records showed Gomez sent text messages in the minutes leading up to the collision. There was no evidence of alcohol. 

At Gomez’s sentencing for the collision in January 2019, prosecutors argued for the maximum sentence of six years in state prison; however, the Court instead sentenced Gomez to a two year suspended prison sentence that would be imposed if she violated the terms of her three-year probation period. Her sentence also included her serving 365 days in custody with no credits. Gomez admitted to the violation of probation on March 5, 2021.

Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare
Assistant District Attorney Dave Alavezos (559) 636-5494