How DMV of CA allows deadly drivers on the road

Erwin Wyat’s history behind the wheel is distributed on two pages of a recent lawsuit: police escape. Running from the police again. Performing red light. Causing a traffic collision. Driving without certificate, four times. Dozen tickets for speeding.

Still, the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued him a license in 2019. Wyat immediately received three more speed tickets, court records show. Prosecutors say he accelerated again in 2023 when he lost control and collided with a counter, killing three women. He is now facing charges of murder in Stanisusus County.

California DMV routinely allows drivers like those – with horrific stories of dangerous driving, including DUI, crashes and numerous tickets – to continue working on our road sails, a CalMatters investigation has been foundS

Too often they continue to kill. Many continue to drive even after killing. Some continue to kill again.

SalMatters investigating reporter Robert Lewis Carrying cases of car killing in California from 2019 to the beginning of 2024 to find out how California is dealing with dangerous drivers.

Judicial records and driving history reveal a country that deals with people who have access to motor vehicles for work and life that allows deadly drivers to share our roads despite costs.

Officials can call a privilege, but they treat it as a right – often fail to take licenses to drivers even after killing someone on the road.

• Morgan GirePlacer County District Attorney: “I don’t think anyone fully understands what you need to do behind the wheel to lose your driving privilege.”

Our key findings:

• Nearly 40 percent of drivers accused of car murder of 2019 have a valid license.
• DMV has issued licenses to 150 drivers less than a year after killing someone on the road.
• Nearly 400 drivers accused of killing someone received a ticket or were in another clash – or both – after their fatal crash.
• DMV has no data on car killing or related to the sentences of hundreds of drivers.

Read the full investigation here or See our main assumptionsS Learn about How we reported the storyS

This is the first story in our license to kill a series. Sign up here To get an email when we have new stories.

With Cal Fire’s Excluded deployment of updated local fire hazard cardsCalifornia property owners who fall into 2 million acres of “tall” or “very high” fire hazards are subject to numerous construction rules and other rules for mitigating fires.

However, a proposal for the three major utility companies in California to update their own fire-cape cards would help impose more regulatory control and stricter infrastructure rules in utility services in high-risk areas Has recently been rejected by state regulatorsS

Calm Malena Carolo He explains that after his initial submission in 2017, fire cards were voluntarily updated by communal services in partial updates. In 2023, the California Public Defenders, a state entity, responsible for the presentation of consumer interests and interest, requested regulators at the California Commission for Utilities to require utilities to update their cards immediately and in its entirety.

Companies – Pacific Gas & Electric, South California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric – supported the request the Commission rejected in January. A commission spokesman said its members “cannot comment today a potentially future fire card vehicle.”

The rejection came weeks after lethal fires passed through Los Angeles County. In March The County filed a case against EdisonArguing that there is evidence that the company is responsible for the fire in Ethan, which killed 18 people.

Read more hereS

By a higher education and workforce reporter Adam Echelman:

In 1961, California adopted the “50 Proponent Law”, which imposed much of the way colleges in the Community spend their money. Most of the colleges of the community of the country have not yet existed and there has never been a movie about James Bond.

College administrators Say the rule is outdatedS

In a report on April 8, the State Auditor Office said he agreedS The law requires community colleges to spend 50% of their salaries for teachers, with some exceptions. College leaders say that restrictions interfere with their ability to spend money on advisers, librarians and other support services that students need.

The audit also said that the California College Chancellor has done a bad job of applying school compliance with the law.

Teachers say the law is enclosed against administrative swelling, maintaining colleges focused on their educational mission. Over the course of a 10-year-old, Californic Chancellor of California College Chancellor reports that his schools have increased the number of administrators by 45 percent compared to only 3 percent for teachers, although the audit notes that staff contains “anomalies” and “non-compliance”.

The audit recommended amendment to the law, but did not eliminate it.

Former member of the Assembly Evan Low and his campaign will pay a $ 106,000 fine for using a non -profit purpose focused on Alec Baldwin to appear in raising a politician and raising funds to re -elevate a politician and concealing payment afterThe State Committee on fair political practices decided on Thursday.

The divine punishment comes five years after the agency began to investigate a low level and its relationship with the non -profit purpose, which founded – a probe caused by Calmatters reporting on Low and Foundation links.

• Angela BeretonThe auxiliary head of the law enforcement of the FPPC during a committee meeting on Thursday: “This behavior was outrageous. There were purposeful actions to conceal this activity and not reported for five years.”

To learn more about Low’s violations, read The story of Yue Stella Yu hereS