California’s Penal Code 191.5 (a) is one of the worst DUI offenses that a person can be charged with. PC 191.5 (a) is a felony that can result in spending years in prison. The charge, called gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated implies that the driver knew they were putting lives at risk. Manslaughter is a term that means that a behavior or action resulted in death. It differs from murder in that there was no intention to kill. The term gross means that the driver acted with gross negligence, meaning that they acted with a total disregard for the safety of others.
The Sacramento Bee reports that a woman has pleaded guilty to charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
The charges stem from an early morning collision on April 9th. Authorities state that 21-year-old Alexis Little was driving southbound on East Bidwell Street in front of Folsom Lake College. At about 2 a.m., the Subaru Forrester that Little was driving hit a light pole and overturned.
Witness reports indicate that at the time of the crash, Little was driving in excess of the speed limit.
In the front passenger seat was 28-year-old Joshua Lowery. He was pronounced dead at the scene after a back-seat passenger called 911 to report the accident.
Little, along with three other passengers, were all hospitalized with moderate injuries. After she was treated, Little was arrested and charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Last Friday, Little entered a guilty plea to the charges. Her sentencing is scheduled for November 1st. The penalty for the charge is a term of four, six, or ten years in state prison.
