Lompoc resident Michael Culligan—who crashed a stolen Jeep near Vandenberg Space Force Base, killed another driver, and severely injured the passenger while under the influence of drugs—was recently sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison.
The 30-year-old drove a 2019 Jeep Wrangler on base property, swerved into oncoming traffic, and collided head-on with a blue Lexus sedan on June 16, 2020. Following the traffic collision, Culligan climbed out of the sunroof and fled the scene where law enforcement later found him hiding in a drainpipe, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Axelrad said.
“The collision itself was horrific. It was a tragedy in every way imaginable. … The damage and devastation to the other car was immediately catastrophic. The passenger was airlifted out with significant injuries, but for the driver I think it was immediately—or near immediately—fatal,” Axelrad said.
The accident was investigated by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations as well as the California Highway Patrol and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Axelrad explained that the accident happened in federal jurisdiction, allowing the U.S. Attorney’s Office to proceed with the case.
Investigations found that Culligan used methamphetamine and alcohol before he drove—which he admitted to during his post-arrest interview, court documents stated.
“But the defendant’s [Culligan’s] use of alcohol and drugs on the day of the crash were not the exception, rather the defendant has struggled through repeated cycles of addiction,” documents stated.
The documents explained that he struggled with addiction since his freshman year of high school, however, the sentence made it clear that any type of impaired driving “will be treated severely.”
“His disregard for the safety of the community was staggering. Driving a stolen car while drunk and high is the very epitome of recklessness and, sadly, the defendant’s conduct had consequences,” the document stated.
During negotiations, the two parties were able to reach a plea agreement where Culligan pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges and received 46 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Culligan could have received a longer sentence if he proceeded to trial, but both parties decided a plea agreement was appropriate for the case, Axelrad said.
“There are a number of [factors], not the least of which has the potential to save the victim and deceased victim’s family the painful experience of going through trial,” Axelrad said. “The defendant was ultimately imposed a righteous sentence, but to be frank with you, any sentence isn’t going to bring back the life of a victim nor do I think the sentence will impact the guilt that they will have to live with of taking someone else’s life. It’s tragic all the way around.”
This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 3, 2022.