Prosecutors objected to the sentence, arguing that the defendant should be sentenced to state prison due to the seriousness of his conduct.
The incident happened the afternoon of May 24, 2009. Prosecutors say Mehdi was speeding up to 80 mph in a 50 mph zone on El Toro Road in Lake Forest in his BMW sedan. That's when prosecutors say he crossed through the intersection at Toledo Way on a yellow light and made an unsafe lane change, crashing into the driver's side of a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle. The driver was 27-year-old Jose Cervantes. Cervantes lost control of his vehicle from the impact and crashed into a wood utility pole.
Cervantes had been driving with his girlfriend Magdalena Curiel Topete and Topete's niece Jasmine Sanchez as passengers. The girl was killed after suffering blunt force trauma injuries. Topete, 21, suffered lacerations to her face and liver. Cervantes suffered lacerations to his face and forehead.
