Jessica Lynn Shekell has been sentenced to six years in prison for causing the wrong-way Yorba Linda car crash on the 91 freeway that killed sisters Patricia Miguel, 30, and Sally Miguel, 49, in October 2009. Shekell, a 23-year-old Anaheim woman, had pleaded guilty to four felony counts, including two for vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated. Her Orange County, California wrongful death trial is scheduled in June.
Shekell and friends had been drinking in Placentia bars when, at around 3am, she drove her Toyota pickup the wrong way up the 91 freeway at about 50 mph. It was then that she crashed into the Chevrolet pickup carrying the Miguel sisters and their nieces Sarah Miguel, 12, and Mary Miguel, 16, who sustained permanent injury and must now use a cane. At the time of the fatal Orange County, California car accident, the women and girls were driving back to San Bernardino after spending time in Buena Park at Knott's Berry Farm.
Prosecutor Susan Price says that Shekell's blood alcohol level was .26%--significantly higher than the .08% legal limit. However, the Anaheim woman's lawyer says another test indicated that Shekell's BAC was .20%.
Drunk Driving
Drunk Driving is negligent driving. The more alcohol a driver has consumed the greater the chance he/she will become involved in a deadly Orange County, California car accident. A drunk driver may experience impaired reasoning, affected depth perception problems, reasoning difficulties, vision problems, emotional mood swings, delayed reactions, motor control loss, speech problems, judgment issues, motor impairment, memory loss, alcohol poisoning, or car sickness while driving. These symptoms can cause a drunk driver to make poor decisions, lose control of the vehicle, and seriously injure or kill others.
Anaheim woman gets 6 years for killing two sisters while driving drunk, Los Angeles Times, March 9, 2011
2 dead after head-on collision with CSUF student, Daily Titan, October 26, 2009
Recent Anaheim Car Accidents Result in Injuries and Deaths, California Injury Lawyers Blog, October 29, 2011
Related Web Resources:
The Visual Detection of DWI Motorists, NHTSA
How Much is Too Much, Alcohol Screening
Related Blog Posts:
$40M Huntington Beach Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Claims Seek Damages From City Over Fatal Orange County, California Pedestrian Accident that Killed 3-Month-Old Girl, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 18, 2011
Santa Ana, California Car Accident Kills Buena Park Father and Son, California Injury Lawyers Blog, December 28, 2010
