The Orange County Register reports that a 51-year-old La Mirada woman is facing a prison sentence of 15 years to life for her role in a DUI crash that killed a pedestrian near Disneyland in 2019.
Court documents indicate that Stefanie Lynn Bieser was convicted last year of second-degree murder after an alcohol-fueled crash that killed a 54-year-old Fresno man while walking with his family near Disneyland on February 9, 2019.
Investigators say that Bieser lost control of her Chrysler PT Cruiser as she was making a right turn from the westbound lanes of Katela Avenue onto the northbound lanes of Disneyland Drive when the left tire of her vehicle collided with the center median. The crash caused the car to enter into a broadside skid across traffic lanes and over the curb, striking the victim before hitting some trees and stopping.
Good Samaritans attempted to render aid and revive the victim. Paramedics arrived at the scene and rushed the victim to UCI Medical Center, where he died shortly after his arrival.
Eyewitnesses to the crash estimated that Bieser had been going 45 to 55 miles per hour in the 35-mile-per-hour zone.
Bieser remained at the scene of the crash until police arrived. When asked what happened, she reportedly told officers with the Anaheim Police Department that she didn’t hit anybody. A blood test taken four hours following the fatal crash found that Bieser had a blood alcohol level of .18 percent – more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent.
Bieser had reportedly been at the House of Blues for dinner and a Badfish concert before the fatal crash. She drank two glasses of wine during dinner and another glass of wine and a mixed drink at the concert.
The defendant had a prior DUI conviction in 1991 and was aware of the consequences of drinking and driving. While Bieser’s attorney argued that his client receive probation, the court rejected the request.
