Woman faces criminal charge after California crash
An accident that took place at about 8:42 p.m on May 12 left one person dead and two people injured. Police said that a 32-year-old women had been taken into custody after causing the crash near Yorba Street and East Chapman Avenue in Orange. At the time that she was taken into custody, she was driving on a suspended license because of violations that occurred in 2012 and 2014.
The accident happened after the woman rear-ended a gray sedan while driving her own vehicle west on Chapman Avenue. The sedan was pushed into the intersection and burst to into flames after the impact. One of the occupants inside the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene. Another person was injured and treated at a hospital for minor injuries after that person’s vehicle was side-swiped while waiting at a light.
Police suspect that the woman who caused the crash was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time. She was taken into custody the following day and charged with suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The area near the accident was closed for nearly eight hours while crews investigated the crash and cleared debris from the street.
Accidents that are caused by a drunk driver can often result in catastrophic and sometimes fatal injuries. The survivors of a person who is killed by a person who is impaired by drugs or alcohol may want to seek compensation for their losses. Attorneys who are representing plaintiffs in a resulting wrongful death lawsuit will often remind their clients that these types of civil actions can be successful even if the at-fault motorist is acquitted of criminal charges, due to the lower burden of proof that civil plaintiffs must overcome as opposed to criminal prosecutors.