An Arcadia man was sentenced March 17 to 10 years in state prison for driving drunk and fatally striking a construction worker on the 10 Freeway, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mike Camacho sentenced Tatsuhiko Sakamoto, 39, to the maximum term of 10 years in state prison.
A jury convicted Sakamoto on Nov. 1, 2013 of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol causing injury. Jurors also found true a special allegation that the defendant inflicted great bodily injury while committing the felony.
Sakamoto was accused of driving drunk on April 5, 2012 and fatally striking Connor Penhall. The victim was doing construction work on a closed section of the westbound side of the San Bernardino 10 Freeway.
Penhall, of Corona, was the son of “CHiPs” actor and motorcycle racing champion Bruce Penhall. The case was investigated by the California Highway Patrol.