Two men who were killed when an intoxicated and drowsy truck driver failed to stop for a red light in Orcutt nearly five years ago were remembered Friday during an emotional Santa Maria court hearing before the man who caused their deaths was sentenced to state prison.

Gil Patrick Pena, 61, of Orcutt pleaded guilty in September in Santa Barbara County Superior Court to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for the deaths that resulted from the Feb. 7, 2019, crash.

Pena’s Sysco truck plowed into vehicles that were stopped for a red light on Highway 135 at Union Valley Parkway.

Rick Jay Motley, 60, of Orcutt and his passenger, Jesse Donald Gluyas, 25, of Solvang, were killed in the crash that involved multiple vehicles. The VTC Enterprises coworkers were headed to their work site at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Law enforcement officers contend that Pena was driving while drowsy, and that he had medication in his system the morning of the crash. Tests showed he had valium, gabapentin and trazodone in his system, all of which list drowsiness among side effects.

Pena, who originally faced a pair of murder charges for causing the fatal crash, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and avoided a trial in the long-delayed case.

Under the plea deal, Pena was sentenced to 10 years for each man’s death but will serve those terms concurrently. 

During victim-impact statements, family members shared that Gluyas had special needs but had recently achieved independence by holding a full-time job, living alone and volunteering in the community. 

“He would spread happiness and joy to everyone he met,” said his sister, Brandi Gluyas, who lost her brother only four years after their dad died from cancer.

“He was really proud of everything he was accomplishing, and that was taken away in an instant,” she added.

Liz Orona, Gluyas’ grandmother by marriage, recalled him as charming, funny, incredibly friendly, sweet and cute.

“Jesse was not just special needs,” she said. “He was special.”

Instead of enjoying pizza and ice cream with her brother, Brandi Gluyas said, she was reading a statement about her loss in court. 

Their grandmother, Donna Gluyas of Solvang, also spoke, saying, “I am broken” and noted Pena’s prior driving incidents plus his actions the morning her grandson and his coworker died.

“The impact was extreme, a 60,000-pound truck at 60 mph with no effort to stop,” Donna Gluyas said. 

“Witnessing that accident video of the moment of impact from the Sysco truck, that was originally presented as evidence, and seeing Gil Patrick Pena deeply passed out, is something that will never leave my mind and will forever scar our family,” she added.

In addition to listening to some statements, visiting Judge Brian Aronson said he also read a number of statements that had been provided before the hearing. 

Motley’s family submitted a slideshow with poignant music, showing the man smiling and at family events through the years. 

At the start of the sentencing hearing, Deputy District Attorney Lindsey Bittner said Pena made a series of choices that led to the deaths of two men.

“This was extremely preventable,” she said. “It was preventable by Mr. Pena and and Mr. Pena alone.”

Defense attorney Robert Sanger noted more than once that his client has expressed extreme remorse for the crash before Pena spoke briefly. 

“I am deeply and profoundly sorry for the pain I caused the Motley and Gluyas families,” an emotional Pena said. “I am so very deeply sorry.”

While most in the courtroom had followed the case for nearly five years, the visiting judge said he had not been familiar with the circumstances until Friday.

“But I am deeply moved,” he said after hearing about the victims. “It does appear the incident was avoidable, which is why we are here today in criminal court.”

At the end of the hearing, Pena was handcuffed and taken into custody.

The crash prompted civil lawsuits against Sysco Corp., Sysco Ventura and Pena by the Motley and Gluyas families, along with other motorists.

The parties are scheduled to meet for mediation in February. 

The civil cases are set to return to court March 6 for a case management conference. 

Recognizing the ongoing civil litigation, Aronson reserved restitution for the criminal case and ordered the attorneys to return in May.