Prison Sentence in Fatal 2023 DUI Crash
Today in Department 3 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Blake Benham, age 44, of Dinuba, was sentenced to 23 years and 8 months in prison for a DUI crash that killed two women and severely injured two others.
At approximately 6:18 pm on December 3, 2023, Benham, driving a Ford F-150, collided with a car carrying four people at Road 56 and Avenue 430 in Dinuba. Two of the vehicle’s occupants suffered major injuries while two other occupants, a mother and daughter, succumbed to their injuries. The victims were returning to Reedley after Christmas shopping in Tulare. Detecting a strong odor of alcohol, California Highway Patrol officers arrested Benham for DUI. A breathalyzer test revealed his BAC to be above .15%. Investigation showed that Benham veered into the oncoming lane and hit the victims’ vehicle head on at 62 miles per hour.
On May 2, 2025, Benham pleaded guilty to two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury with a BAC over .08%. As part of the agreement to plead guilty, the court sentenced Benham to the stipulated sentence, which is the maximum allowed under California law for these charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Noell Niayesh and was investigated by the California Highway Patrol.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan Underwood (559) 636-5494