ANAHEIM – Police have arrested a 29-year-old Filipino American woman who prosecutors say was distracted when she caused a three-car crash that resulted in the death of a young woman last year.
The Orange County District Attorney charged Jorene Ypanto Nicolas Thursday with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
She is set to be arraigned on Monday.
Authorities said on April 27, Nicolas was driving a Toyota Prius at 80 miles per hour on the 405 heading northbound when she collided into the back of a Hyundai sedan driven by 23-year-old Deanna Mauer. The crash caused Mauer’s car to collide into the car in front of her, before striking the center divider.
Mauer, who had been wearing a seatbelt, was transported to University of California, Irvine Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
Nicolas was treated for minor injuries.
The DA accused Nicolas of “being distracted and inattentive while driving and failing to notice that the traffic ahead had come to a complete stop.”
Though it’s uncertain why Nicolas was “inattentive,” Mauer’s family has accused her of being either on the phone or texting while driving.
“I truly believe that Deanna was killed because of text messaging,which is such a senseless death,” said Howard Mauer, the father to CBS.
Nicolas is being held on $100,000 bail. If convicted, she faces six years in prison.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend Jan 27-31, 2012 Sec A pg. 8)
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