Brent Scott Norman served ten years in prison for the crime. Since his release he has been arrested twice for driving under the influence.
Norman was fleeing from the highway patrol when he caused the head on crash that claimed two lives. It happened 13 years ago on Highway 41 just north of Fresno.
On July 20th of 2000, a highway patrol officer spotted the pickup driving by Brent Scott Norman weaving erratically through traffic on Highway 41 and was giving chase.
In trying to get away, Norman sideswiped a car, driven by David Wiley of Oakhurst, knocking it into the other lane, where it collided head on with a pickup driven by Leonard Myers of Clovis. Both men were killed.
Brent Norman was convicted on two counts of manslaughter and sentenced to 24 years in prison. He got out in 10 and quickly went back to old habits. He was arrested for drunk driving in May of last year in Madera County, and again in February of this year in Fresno.
For some reason, his past record did not show up when he was arrested in either Madera or Fresno. Weeks later, Fresno police detective Mark Van Wyhe was reviewing the case when he discovered Norman's past.
Norman was tracked to Madera County, and Fresno police re-arrested him on felony charges Tuesday while he was coming out of a liquor and convenience store, drunk.
Detective Mark Van Wyhe said, "Had we let him get in his vehicle and leave again, what could have happened would have been devastating because he was over the legal limit and driving."
He is now in custody facing felony charges.
The whole episode is upsetting to Susan Myers. Her husband, Leonard, died in that crash. She did not know Norman had been released from prison.
"That is just beyond comprehension. We were hoping that this young man would learn his lesson while he was in prison and try to do some good in his life instead of going back to drinking and doing what he was doing when the accident happened with my husband," said Susan Myers.
She is angry and sad because it does not seem with two deaths, and ten years in prison, Norman did not seem to understand the pain he caused.
"And that's my daughters did not have the privilege of their dad walking them down the aisle when they got married. My grandchildren will never have the privilege of grandpa teaching them how to fish. There's so much loss and so much hurt when something like this happens and all because a 25 year old young man decided to drink and drive. How sad is that," said Susan.
Brent Scott Norman is in the Fresno County Jail, scheduled for arraignment Friday.
If convicted on charges of violating his parole, and of felony driving under the influence, he could get another six years in prison.