NBC Los Angeles reports that two alleged street racers face criminal charges after an accident last week that claimed the life of an Orange County newspaper editor who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Around 11:45 a.m. last Thursday in Santa Ana, near the intersection of Bristol Street and Santa Clara Avenue, an Infiniti and BMW were allegedly racing northbound up Bristol when the BMW struck a Ford pickup driven by the victim that was attempting to turn left on Santa Clara. The pickup was hit hard enough to skid sixty to seventy feet and catch fire. The driver died despite a rescue attempt by neighboring residents. The BMW was also totaled and the driver was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center, where they were placed under arrest.
A witness was able to get a license plate number of the Infiniti, leading to police arrests of both of the alleged racers.
The BMW driver faces felony charges of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury, and driving with a blood-alcohol content exceeding the legal limit of .08% causing bodily injury, as well as multiple misdemeanors. The Infiniti driver faces felony charges of gross vehicular manslaughter, a hit-and-run charge with permanent and serious injury, and a sentencing enhancement of fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter. He has also been charged with engaging in a speed contest.
