DUBLIN (AP) — A woman who was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she lost control of her SUV killing two of her passengers pleaded no contest to second-degree murder charges. She faces 15 years to life in prison, authorities said Wednesday.
Lauren Davis, who had a history of driving under the influence, pleaded no contest Monday to two counts of second-degree murder for the 2017 deaths of Violet Campbell, 16, and Alexis Garcia, 25, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley announced.
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On Nov. 22, 2017, the night before Thanksgiving, Davis was driving her Kia SUV with four passengers in Livermore when she lost control of the SUV, careening off the right side of the road and rolling over several times.
Campbell was seated in the seat behind the driver and killed instantly. Alexis was in the rear passenger seat and was thrown out of the vehicle. She died five days later at a hospital from massive head injuries, O’Malley said.
Two other passengers were injured, but not seriously. Davis, who was 26 at the time, was also not seriously injured and was able to extract herself from the vehicle.
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Witnesses said Davis drove through a red light. A California Highway Patrol expert estimated her speed was between 70 to 80 mph.
“This senseless tragedy took the lives of two young women, and could have been avoided,” O’Malley said.
Six months before the deadly crash, Davis had pleaded guilty to alcohol-related reckless driving, from a 2016 case. She had also been arrested and charged with another DUI-related case from Oct. 9, 2013. She pleaded to reckless driving under the influence of marijuana.
She is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 19 and faces 15 years to life in prison.
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