No matter who you are or where you’re from, driving while intoxicated on alcohol or drugs is against the law. When a DUI driver causes the severe injury or death of another, they will be facing serious penalties that can include long jail or prison sentences, high fines, and other penalties as a result.
Patch.com reported on their website that on Wednesday, March 20th, Courtney Lynne Peterson. 36, of Tracy, turned herself in at the Santa Rita Jail for her role in an accident in October of 2018 that killed a motorcyclist and his passenger.
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The California Highway Patrol said in a statement the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for her arrest on two charges of manslaughter related to the deaths of motorcyclist Mark Nida, 63, and Kathleen Seifert, 64, both residents of Pleasanton. Petersen presented herself to the jail that same afternoon.
The deadly crash happened at 4:50 p.m. when Peterson was driving her Ford F-250 pickup truck on Altamont Pass Road near Livermore on October 14th. Peterson’s vehicle had wandered into oncoming lanes of traffic. Peterson’s truck struck Nida’s motorcycle, sending the bike, Nida, and Seifert into a ditch while Peterson’s vehicle went down an embankment along the road. Both the motorcyclist and his passenger were rushed to Eden Medical Center for treatment. Nida died a short time after arriving at the hospital. Seifert also died a short time later as the result of injuries she sustained in the crash. It was determined by officers and investigators at the scene that Peterson was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fatal accident.
Authorities placed Peterson under arrest that night on two counts of vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. Her sentence was passed on March 7th, while her arraignment has been scheduled for Friday, March 22nd.
California Highway Patrol Commander, Captain Christopher Sherry said in a statement to the media that, “The collision was a preventable tragedy. Two innocent lives were lost because someone chose to drive under the influence of alcohol.”
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