Meth-using driver granted parole after serving 22 years for killing two rescue workers

On July 17, 2004, Joseph Tidwell, then 35, drove while intoxicated on methamphetamine and caused a head-on collision with a San Gorgonio Search and Rescue Suburban in Joshua Tree, resulting in the deaths of rescue workers Phil Calvert and Scott Johnston. Tidwell was arrested at the scene, tried in 2007, and found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, receiving a sentence of 45 years to life. He applied for parole under California’s Elderly Parole Program in December 2024 and again 18 months later, receiving a recommendation for release on June 30, 2026 after serving 22 years.

The parole decision still awaits final approval from Governor Gavin Newsom. The case has drawn attention to the Elderly Parole system, which allows inmates aged 50 or older who have served at least 20 years to seek early release.