Los Angeles, Calif., A 19-year-old woman who was allegedly drunk when she lost control of her car, which struck and killed two homeless people sleeping on a sidewalk in Skid Row, was charged today with vehicular manslaughter.
Carmen Elena Chavez of Los Angeles was scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court on the two felony counts stemming from the deaths of Randall Milton and Teryl Sageser, both 51.
Chavez lost control of her 1989 Mercedes-Benz as she was making a right turn at an allegedly unsafe speed about 12:05 a.m. Sunday near Crocker and Fourth streets. She and another woman, along with two men, got out of the car and ran, police alleged.
One of the men and the two women later returned, and police took them all into custody for questioning.
Chavez was given a field sobriety test at the scene, which she failed, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Chavez was arrested just after 4 a.m. Sunday by the LAPD’s Central Traffic Division and remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.
The criminal complaint alleges that the deaths occurred while Chavez was driving under the influence of alcohol and under the legal drinking age of 21. Chavez — who allegedly does not possess a driver’s license — could face up to four years and eight months in prison if convicted, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
