Woman convicted of murder in Santa Ana DUI crash
April Whang - Facebook.
SANTA ANA, California - A woman who was on probation for impaired driving had five times the legal limit of booze in her blood when she smashed her car into another killing a woman instantly.
She was driving at 90 m.p.h. when she ran a red light. (see video below.)
The second-time drunken driver who was on probation for a previous driving under the influence conviction and whose blood alcohol content was over five times the legal limit was found guilty Tuesday of murdering a 26-year-old motorist in an early morning high-speed crash.
Brittany Deanne Schuetz, 21, Santa Ana, was convicted by a jury of one felony count of murder and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison at her sentencing on April, 30.
Prior case:
On July 16, 2007, Schuetz pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol level of .14 percent on June 14, 2007. As a condition of her probation, she attended alcohol awareness classes where she was instructed about the dangers of drinking and driving.
New charge:
On the night of Jan. 31, 2009, Schuetz consumed several alcoholic drinks at a party. After midnight on Feb. 1, 2009, she left the party and ignored her friends’ offers to find her a ride home and their pleas for her not to drive, according to evidence submitted at trial.
At approximately 1:30 a.m., Schuetz was driving over 90 mph on Imperial Highway in a black 2003 Mazda 6. She entered the intersection at Imperial Highway and Beach Boulevard against a red light.
After running the red light, she struck victim April Whang’s vehicle, which was traveling eastbound on Imperial Highway from Beach Boulevard on a green light.
The impact threw Whang from the driver’s seat to the cargo area of her 2004 Acura Integra.
La Habra Police arrived at the scene to find the defendant sitting in the driver’s seat of her car. Schuetz displayed objective signs of alcohol intoxication including emitting a strong odor of alcohol from her breath, having bloodshot and watery eyes, and not being able to answer any of the basic questions asked by investigating officers, evidence showed.
Two hours after the crash, the defendant had a blood alcohol level of .24 percent, five times above the legal limit for a person under the age of 21.
Whang died at the scene due to multiple traumatic injuries. The victim was an ice hockey player and former figure skater. She worked as a store manager at The Rinks Anaheim Ice. Over 1,000 people attended her funeral. Whang lived in Fullerton with her parents and 21-year-old sister.
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Posted by News Editor
on Feb 17 2010. Filed under United States.
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