Hearing on accident perpetrator Larry Hallum postponed

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – A preliminary hearing for the alleged drunk driver charged in the death of Arvin educator Larry Hallum has been postponed until August.

Marque Qualls, 27, remains in custody without bail after the hearing was postponed on Thursday. He is accused of second-degree murder, among other things. He is due back in court on August 8.

Qualls was arrested following a collision between his and Hallum’s vehicles on February 15, 2023, at the intersection of Old River Road and White Lane. Court documents from the Bakersfield Police Department state that Qualls was driving while intoxicated and told police he was trying to kill himself by causing an intentional crash.

According to the documents, Qualls had a blood alcohol content of 0.18 percent, more than twice the legal limit.

Hallum, 79, died in April last year from injuries sustained in the accident. He worked at Arvin High School for four decades.