Executive Summary
- Maria Heroica Cuevas was sentenced to 25 years and 8 months for a fatal 2024 crash.
- The defendant pled guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
- Police testimony indicated Cuevas admitted to using nitrous oxide before driving.
- Cuevas is currently incarcerated in Chowchilla with parole eligibility in 2042.
Maria Heroica Cuevas, 32, is serving a prison sentence of over 25 years after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a fatal multi-vehicle collision in Eureka, California, in May 2024. The plea deal, which resolved a case involving the death of a pedestrian and injuries to others, was confirmed by the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office earlier this year.
According to District Attorney Stacey Eads, the agreement finalized in January 2025 required Cuevas to serve the maximum term allowed by law—25 years and 8 months. She pled guilty to all charges in the complaint, which included gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and multiple counts of driving under the influence causing injury. The charges were filed in connection with the death of 66-year-old David Wayne Sprague and injuries sustained by local attorney Jennifer Dixon.
During earlier court hearings, an officer from the Eureka Police Department testified that Cuevas admitted to using nitrous oxide prior to the crash. Police investigations revealed that at the time of the incident, she was driving from a Department of Motor Vehicles office to a local program for a scheduled urine test. The criminal complaint also addressed a separate hit-and-run count and a misdemeanor DUI charge dating five days prior to the fatal collision.
Cuevas was formally sentenced in March 2025 and was subsequently transferred to the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla on May 1. Data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation indicates that her earliest possible parole eligibility date is October 2042. District Attorney Eads stated in correspondence that no additional charges would be brought against Cuevas regarding these events.
Judicial Resolution and Safety Implications
This sentencing marks the legal conclusion of a high-profile case involving impaired driving in Humboldt County. The imposition of the maximum statutory penalty underscores the judicial system’s response to vehicular fatalities involving controlled substances, specifically inhalants like nitrous oxide. While this case has been resolved through a guilty plea, it is a fundamental legal principle that all individuals charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
