Drunk driver who hit several pedestrians, including FOX 11 crew, sentenced to 8 years in prison

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles County judge announced the sentencing for the drunk driver who crashed into several pedestrians in Hollywood, including FOX 11's crew members, in 2021.

On Thursday, the judge sentenced 56-year-old Carlos Gale to eight years in prison for the crash that seriously hurt FOX 11's Hal Eisner and Joab Perez.

Back in March 2021, Eisner and Perez were working on a story about the reopening of El Capitan Theatre on West Hollywood Boulevard as Los Angeles County began loosening its COVID-19 restrictions against businesses deemed nonessential. As they were working on a story, an SUV driven by Gale crashed into them on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame in the 6800 block of West Hollywood Boulevard.

The crash also injured two sisters from Washington State and a fifth person that FOX 11 was not able to interview with following the crash.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: FOX 11 catches up with 2 sisters seriously injured in Hollywood DUI crash

During the investigation, authorities revealed Gale had blood alcohol content of .15, nearly double the legal limit.

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"By the grace of God we have not lost someone, we got five very significant injuries and to see this accident behind me is just so disheartening. A DUI driver that is so reckless in his actions as to cause this collision is just heartbreaking," said Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore at the time of the crash.

The crash left the two FOX 11 crew members taking on a weeks-long road to recovery. Now, Eisner is back on the air and Perez is back behind the cameras as our photojournalist.