Sean Alexander O’Donnell, 44, faces three felony charges related to a fatal car crash on March 1 in Newhall. The charges include gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence causing injury, and driving with a blood-alcohol content above .08.
O’Donnell was arrested shortly after the crash and has been receiving medical treatment for significant injuries. He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday to plead guilty or not guilty to the charges. If convicted, O’Donnell faces up to three years in prison per count, with a possible three-year sentence enhancement if he has prior convictions.
The crash resulted in the death of Sean Brown, 56, who also lived in the San Fernando Valley. Deputies initially suspected that the two men might have known each other, but this information was not confirmed. O’Donnell’s vehicle collided with an electrical pole at the intersection before coming to a stop at 6th Street.
O’Donnell’s prior convictions are not available on court records, but he is expected to answer several allegations of having suffered juvenile delinquency proceedings as part of his plea. The case has been continued several times over the past two weeks and will be resolved during O’Donnell’s preliminary arraignment on Tuesday.
Source: https://signalscv.com/2025/03/da-files-3-charges-in-fatal-newhall-crash