If a person drives while intoxicated with alcohol or drugs and causes an accident in California, the charges can quickly become much more serious than a misdemeanor DUI charge. If the accident caused the injuries of a person or people, the driver could be looking at misdemeanor or felony DUI causing injury charges.
If the accident caused the death of one or more people, the driver could face charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated or murder. Many times, the driver in this situation will find themselves facing multiple charges. It is not uncommon to see a driver charged with murder, manslaughter, DUI causing injury, and other typical DUI charges in California. Charges can also be added if an injured person eventually succumbs to their injuries.
The Press-Telegram reports that a suspected DUI driver has been charged with murder after the victim in a Long Beach crash died from their injuries.
50-year-old Charlette Ann Colton has been charged with murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit-and-run involving injury or death, and other DUI charges.
Colton was arrested on March 24th in connection with a Long Beach crash that sent two people to the hospital. One of those people died from their injuries on April 4th. The other victim suffered from a crushed leg in the collision.
At about 12:40 p.m., Colton slammed her minivan into a car. The crash seriously injured two men who were in the process of unhooking towing equipment at the time of the crash.
Prosecutors believe that Colton was intoxicated at the time of the crash and fled the scene. She was located a short time later and was arrested. Following the death of one of the victims, her bond was set to $2 million.
Colton has a 2012 DUI conviction where her blood-alcohol content was higher than 0.20%.
