Marine is sentenced to 15 years

A Camp Pendleton Marine was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life for killing a Newport Coast radiologist in a car collision two years ago that was the direct result of drinking and driving.

Lance Cpl. Elijah Leigh Ferguson, 22, of Santa Ana, was convicted by a jury Dec. 9 on one felony count of second-degree murder, one felony count of driving under the influence causing injury, and one felony county of driving with a blood alcohol level of .08% or more causing injury, the Orange County district attorney’s office said in a news release.

The accident occurred at 11:53 p.m. Feb. 22, 2008, at Jamboree Road and MacArthur Boulevard, killing Michael Sein, 63, and leaving his wife, Grace Sein, with brain and back injuries.

Ferguson had just taken part in a special class at Camp Pendleton, which outlined the dangers of drinking and driving hours, before he got behind the wheel of his Dodge Caliber.

At the time of the accident, police said Ferguson was driving 75 mph in a 50 mph zone, and that he crashed into the back of Sein’s vehicle, an Aston Martin, which was stopped at a red light.

Michael Sein died 30 minutes later at Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital from blunt trauma to the head.

His wife was transported to Western Medical Center, where she was treated for brain and back injuries.

Earlier in the day, according to the district attorney’s office, Ferguson had been drinking at Camp Pendleton between 1 and 3 p.m., when he decided he wanted to drive home to Santa Ana.

As much as fellow Marines tried to prevent him from driving by taking away his keys, he eventually got a hold of them later in the evening and left the base, according to reports.

Ferguson suffered a broken ankle in the crash. He will serve time in state prison.