Newsom Rejects Parole for Driver Who Killed Rescue Workers
Governor cites continued risk factors and past misconduct in denying early release for man convicted in 2004 DUI crash.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has blocked the early release of Joseph Tidwell, a driver convicted of killing two rescue workers in a 2004 drunken driving crash. The decision overturned a parole board's earlier decision to grant Tidwell parole under California's Elderly Parole Program.
Newsom stated in a letter that despite Tidwell's efforts toward self-improvement in prison, "negative factors that demonstrate he remains unsuitable for parole at this time" outweighed those efforts. The governor cited Tidwell's past record of parole violations and recent misconduct within prison, including drug use and financial offenses at Soledad State Prison.
"Mr. Tidwell must do additional work to address his risk factors before he can be safely released," Newsom wrote.
Tidwell, 57, was driving under the influence of meth and heroin on July 17, 2004, when he crossed the center line and collided head-on with a vehicle carrying volunteers from the San Gorgonio Search and Rescue Team. The crash killed Scott Johnston, 29, and Phil Calvert, 58. Bob Blanck, a fellow rescuer and friend of Johnston's, was critically injured in the collision, suffering severe injuries that required multiple surgeries and months of hospitalization.
Blanck, who had opposed Tidwell's release, called Newsom's intervention "a rare act of common sense." He noted that Tidwell had served 22 years of a 45-year sentence.
In 2007, Tidwell was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder. He first applied for parole under the Elderly Parole Program in December 2024 after serving 20 years, but was denied due to infractions. He reapplied and was granted parole by a board on June 30, 2026, but that decision was subject to review by the governor.
California's Elderly Parole Program allows inmates aged 50 or older who have served at least 20 continuous years to be considered for parole. The program's eligibility criteria were expanded in 2021. The law allows eligible inmates to reapply for parole every 18 months.
Johnston's mother, Beth Greenwood, expressed relief but also concern that Tidwell could reapply for parole in 18 months. "I’m very happy with the outcome of this particular decision, but this is going to come up again in 18 months," she said. "[Tidwell] can get out and be just as dangerous now as he was then."