Coroner releases name of woman struck by suspected drunken driver
Authorities today released the name of a 58-year-old pedestrian who was fatally struck by a suspected drunken driver in Desert Hot Springs on July 20.
Beth O’Hara died at the scene of the collision, which occurred just after 8 p.m. as she was crossing Palm Drive, south of Buena Vista Avenue, according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.
Adrian Villalobos, 25, of Sky Valley, pleaded not guilty last week to a felony count of DUI causing death. The complaint alleges his blood-alcohol content was 0.10 or more — above the legal limit of .08.
Police said Villalobos was headed north on Palm Drive and “could not stop in time” to prevent colliding with the woman.
Villalobos was arrested on suspicion of gross DUI vehicular manslaughter, but prosecutors opted to file a charge of DUI causing death because “upon our review of the case, we determined that these would be the proper charges to file based on the evidence provided to us,” according to Riverside County District Attorney’s spokesman John Hall.
Villalobos, who’s being held in lieu of $90,000 bail, is slated to return to court Aug. 3 for a felony settlement conference.
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