California man ran red light at 80mph, fled scene after ignoring dying passenger

A man from California is facing prison time for instigating a deadly car crash by recklessly speeding through a red light while reaching about 80 mph and then fleeing the scene.

During his trial, a video was presented showing him glancing back at the crash and the victim before choosing to escape.

"They glanced back... and then decided to run," a Fresno police officer recounted during Shane Shahan's murder trial in January, as reported by local ABC affiliate KFSN.

Upon being apprehended by the police, Shahan, who was handed a sentence of 19 years to life on Tuesday, expressed, "Sorry. Sorry. Sorry, I panicked. Didn't know what to do," as shared by the officer who testified about the 2023 crash incident.

"You could clearly smell alcohol on him," mentioned the officer, according to KFSN. "He was drenched in sweat. His speech was erratic."

As per the police report, Shahan was driving approximately 80 mph when he sped through a red signal at the intersection of First Street and McKinley Avenue.

His Chevrolet Colorado crashed into a Hyundai Elantra carrying two people, including the 35-year-old passenger Jesse Espino, who sustained severe injuries and later passed away at the hospital.

"[Shahan] fled the scene right after the collision," stated the police in a press release from June 2023. "Officers eventually tracked [Shahan] down in a nearby neighborhood shortly after."

Although Shahan's truck overturned, he emerged uninjured. He was found to be driving under the influence and had marijuana in his system.

Prosecutors revealed he had two previous alcohol-related driving offenses on his record from 2016 and 2017.

At the time of the crash, Shahan was still on probation for the 2017 DUI.

Speaking to the court, Espino's sister, Crystal Espino, stated, "We're changed forever since that day. My parents have endured the worst sorrow, and I've lost my only sibling, the person I thought I'd grow old alongside."

Shahan received the harshest sentence possible after his conviction for second-degree murder, hit-and-run leading to death, and operating a vehicle with a suspended license. The jury needed less than an hour to reach their decision.