My News LA and The Antelope Valley Times reported recently that the 2020 conviction of a Lancaster school principal for driving under the influence in 2018 was upheld in a recent appeal attempt heard by the California 2nd District Court of Appeal.
According to a news release issued by officials with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, a Lancaster woman, 38 years of age, was convicted of second-degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter in February 2020 for an incident that took place on November 15, 2018 near the intersection of 50th Street East and Avenue P. The incident took the life of a woman from Lancaster, 29 years of age.
The woman, formerly the principal of a Lancaster elementary school, was allegedly driving south on 50th Street East, north of Avenue P, when for unknown reasons still under investigation she veered left into oncoming traffic and incurred a head-on collision with a car driven by the victim. She was allegedly well over the legal limit for blood-alcohol content, with a 0.19 BAC.
The appellate panel concluded there was sufficient evidence in the case and that the woman had an adequate awareness of the risks associated with drugs and alcohol. They upheld the conviction. The woman faces 15 years to life in prison.
