Constellatia Martin, a 27-year-old woman from Campbell, was sentenced to nine years in prison after she pleaded no contest to charges of felony vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving with an enhancement for great bodily injury, and a hit-and-run enhancement, as part of a plea deal with San Mateo County prosecutors. The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office announced the sentencing today, detailing the culmination of a case that involved Martin driving the wrong way on Highway 280 back in April 2023, causing a devastating collision that left one dead and another severely injured.
Constellatia Martin (27) sentenced to 9 yrs in prison following no contest plea to felony veh. manslaughter, reckless driving, & hit & run, a case investigated extensively by our office. Apr. '23, Martin drove the wrong way on I-280, killing another driver in a head on collision. pic.twitter.com/hvaKIQYo2K
— San Mateo County District Attorney (@SanMateoCoDA) January 8, 2026
According to details released by the The Mercury News, the tragic incident occurred when Martin, in her Ford Fusion, went southbound on the northbound lanes near Woodside Road, colliding head-on with a BMW driven by Eden Palmer, a 54-year-old San Francisco resident and her son was injured in the crash and will need life-long medical care, Palmer had been driving her son to a soccer match on the Peninsula along with the family's dog, which also perished in the accident.
In the immediate aftermath of the collision, Martin fled the scene and was later found 150 yards from the crash, lying naked on the grass, shouting "numerous bizarre statements." When responding officers approached her, Martin exhibited red, watery eyes and rapid speech but refused to undergo sobriety tests or allow officers to examine her for drug influence. Nonetheless, a compulsory blood test later indicated the presence of marijuana in her system, per The Mercury News.
A previous request for mental health diversion was rejected by a judge, who cited Martin's history of noncompliance with treatment and a lack of a suitable plan for her symptoms, despite acknowledging that treatments could benefit her; during the period leading up to her sentencing, she remained in custody without the possibility of bail, and the judge found that the defense did not show an adequate treatment plan for Martin, as the The Mercury News noted.
