By Redacción
redaccion@latinocc.com
A Simi Valley man was sentenced Monday to four years in state prison for causing the death of his passenger during a Christmas Day 2022 crash while driving under the influence.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that Michael Gordon Butler, 40, was sentenced on May 20 after pleading guilty last month to one felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The victim, 23-year-old Coldren James Lee Udell Kiblinger, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash occurred the evening of December 25, 2022, on Santa Susana Pass Road in Simi Valley. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Butler had left a family Christmas gathering around 6:00 p.m. with Kiblinger as his passenger in a recently purchased Corvette.
When the pair failed to return, concerned relatives used tracking apps to locate the vehicle, which had gone about 200 feet down an embankment. Authorities said Butler was speeding while intoxicated, lost control of the car, and crashed into trees and a hillside. Kiblinger died from his injuries at the scene.
Deputy District Attorney Jillian Ewan, a member of the Ventura County DA’s DUI Unit, prosecuted the case. In a statement, Ewan said the tragedy was avoidable and underscored the cost of Butler’s reckless actions.
“This was a preventable tragedy. Coldren Kiblinger’s life was tragically cut short by Butler’s grossly negligent decisions on December 25, 2022,” Ewan said. “While no amount of prison time can bring Coldren back, we hope this guilty plea brings a sense of justice and closure to his loved ones.”
The case once again highlights the dangers of driving under the influence, especially during holiday periods. Authorities urge the public to designate sober drivers and use alternative transportation when celebrating.
