Drunk driver who killed Angels' Nick Adenhart sentenced to 51 years in prison

A convicted drunk driver was sentenced to 51 years in prison for the crash last year that killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people.

An Orange County judge handed down the sentence for Andrew Thomas Gallo, 23, on Wednesday morning.

The April 9, 2009, death of Adenhart just hours after he made his first start of the season for the Angels, pitching six scoreless innings, shocked baseball fans and non-fans alike.

Courtney Stewart, a student and former cheerleader at Cal State Fullerton, and Henry Pearson, a 25-year-old law student who was building a sports-management business, also were killed in the crash.

Gallo had been convicted of driving under the influence three years before the crash and was still on probation when it happened.

When his blood-alcohol level was tested a couple of hours after the crash, it was 0.19%, more than twice the legal limit for driving, officials said.

RELATED:

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-- Mike Anton in Santa Ana

Photo: Andrew Thomas Gallo is led out of court in July. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[doyle king]

only in liberal california....would a drunk driver KILL THREE PEOPLE....and get 51 years and not two life term sentences....on his THIRD OFFENSE!!!

[dongdong]

Im so happy to see this.

[alwaysatrojan]

So sad all around.

[Tony's Take]

I call this justice served for a change, but would the sentence have been as severe if the drunk would have killed you or me? I doubt it.

[Dan]

If Lohan math is applied, is he out in 5 or 7?

[Eric of Reseda]

What WONDERFUL news! This is GREAT! Rejoice! Dance! Laugh!Praise Jesus/Allah/He Who Has No Name!

A killer of young people is off the streets....let him rot....and let his family feel AS NEAR THE PAIN AS POSSIBLE the families, friends, classmates, co-workers, teammates, etc. of those three kids feel EVERYDAY, and will for the rest of their lives.

[Jules Sigler]

While the crime is heinous, sentences of this length do little to deter others but do illustrate a judicial system that is intent firstly on re-election then retribution and not on rehabilitation or re-mediation.

[Paul M. Mock]

FINALLY! What little justice that could be done in this horribly sad case has been served. Pull this scum of the earth off the sights and sounds of society for good. I hope the victims' families can find closure and peace during this painful Holiday season.

Rest in peace Nick and friends!

[Mister Chris]

Fine, he gets 51 years, but really make it 51 years. This scumbag should NEVER walk the streets again. If he's out after, oh, 20 years, that's too early. He'd only be in his mid-40s and that's young.

[Rocco]

Sounds fair. If that's what it takes to make sure he never drives again, hooray.

[SvenAtwater]

Knowing our judicial system, he would have gotten 51 days in jail (instead of 51 years in prison) if it was me who was killed instead of a pro athlete who just picted a great game. Perhaps we need more dead athletes and celebrities to get these drunk jerks off of our roads?

[356man]

Good. Keep this irresponsible menace off the streets for a loooong time.

[englishsunset]

Good, no sympathy...of course if he does 7 years I'll be surprised.

[Seeder]

51 years is a pretty long time... I wonder how it would have been if the show were on the other foot and a multimillionaire ballplayer killed a civilian while driving drunk...?

Oh wait..we know what happens. The get acquitted. Just ask Jim Leyritz (his victim is unavailable for comment)

[theCanimalsHusband]

This was obviously a racist prosecution.

[Joe]

Am I to believe that blood testing was NOT part of his probation? I fail to understand how a man on probation for drunk driving wasn't caught sooner. Could it be that probation is a sick joke perpetrated on the taxpayer?

[D Brooks]

That is a surprising sentence handed down for this case. I would assert, in contrast, that quite often far lesser sentences are given out for actual premeditated and calculated murders. Granted, there was an element of forethought of his actions given his DUI history and his apparent disregard for others but there also appears to be an element of overkill here and perhaps some attention given to the outcome not ordinarily seen had it not been a highprofile case due to the victims celebrity. Yes, this man deserved a severe penalty for his actions but the sentence just further illustrates the incosisttencies in our legal proceedings, including the doling out of approriate punishment.

[Leilani hagberg]

I think that is too much time for these diminished capacity driving deaths.Especially for a person who is 23 and can change.

[repairman]

It's just sad. No one wins.

[Randy]

Situations like this effectively end the lives of both involved in a way. As an Angel's fan I am saddened that such a promising talent was taken...but this guy is now to be in prison until he is 74 years old.

If anything I hope this will show people that there are severe consequences of not learning from past mistakes.

[Chris]

Absolute nonsense. Although I hate alcohol and drunk drivers, this sentence is much more severe than others because this guy killed someone famous. Make these kinds of sentences the same for everyone. It's time for the laws to be tougher for everyone to discourage driving under the influence.

[pat]

Finally, a sentence with a little heft to it! Fifty one years is great, he'll join the work in his early 70s, great.

[August]

If he was on Felony Probation then he was mandated to a program that forces the 12-Step Religious Cult on him.......WHERE WAS THE 12-Step Religious Cult's "HIGHER POWER" and its One-Day-At-A-Time Magic Dust to save him from drinking?

[Jack Daniels]

Amazing.

A very severe sentence only because he killed a baseball player.

Funny how Jessica Shekell killed two women while driving on the wrong side of the 91 freeway with a B.A.C. of .24 only faces 9 years.

[BIG GAME HUNTER]

Now instead of alcohol, Gallo can resort to "pruno" inmate alcohol. I dont think he's learned his lesson!