Fatal Montclair DUI trial postponed to Wednesday
Closing arguments set for today in the vehicular manslaughter trial for Yvonne Sinclair were postponed to Wednesday because an attorney in the case was sick.
Sinclair is accused of driving her H2 Hummer at speeds of up to 80 mph after a night of drinking, then slamming into a Nissan Altima, killing two people in the car.
Local courts are closed Tuesday in observance of Veterans Day.
Click the link below for the most recent story on Sinclair's West Valley Superior Court trial.
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Trial continues for woman accused of killing 2 while drunk in Montclair
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA) - Thursday, November 6, 2008
Author: Lori Consalvo, Staff Writer
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - The woman accused of killing two people while driving under the influence of alcohol testified Wednesday that she only had one drink before leaving a Chino night club in 2006.
Yvonne Sinclair , 29, also told a jury she thought she was driving less than 30 mph and going with the flow of traffic before the fatal collision occurred.
Early on Jan. 21, 2006, Sinclair was driving her new Hummer H2 when she slammed into a Nissan Altima at the intersection of Central Avenue and San Bernardino Street in Montclair.
The two occupants of the Altima, 22-year-old Kara Rosa Adella Maes of Chino and 23-year-old Sergio Lopez of Ontario, both suffered multiple injuries to the head, neck, chest, arms and legs. They both died within minutes of the collision.
Sinclair is facing four felony charges - two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts of felony DUI causing great bodily injury.
She and her friends had been celebrating her birthday at Godfathers night club. A blood test after the crash showed her blood-alcohol content was 0.11, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08, prosecutors said.
A friend bought her a mixed drink and she took a few sips, she testified.
After reviewing a data recorder in Sinclair 's vehicle, experts said that within the last few seconds before impact, the 7,100-pound Hummer was accelerating from 76 up to 80 mph, the throttle was depressed 100 percent, and the brakes were not used.
But Sinclair said the collision was not her fault.
"A vehicle just ran in front of me," she said. "I couldn't brake. I couldn't stop. We just had the impact."
Two of Sinclair 's friends testified Wednesday as well.
Both Crystal Arriola and Shontel Garcia said the group was partying at the night club but they never saw Sinclair drink.
They also both said they had no concerns about her driving after leaving the club.
"The mood in the car was light," Garcia said. "No one was afraid. We were just having a good time."
But other drivers on the road that night said they were afraid.
Mario Hernandez, who was in a car going north on Central, said the Hummer caught his attention coming out from the night club.
He told Montclair police officers that at first the vehicle was going at a normal speed, then it would sporadically speed up and slow down and change lanes erratically.
He also told officers he thought the Hummer was going about 65 mph before the collision.
The jury will hear closing arguments Monday.
Staff writer Will Bigham contributed to this report.
I was just curious as to whether anyone else in the hummer was charge for any violations or association of being in the vehicle, thanks.
No one else was charged, just my mother.
i was the investigating officer on this case...i have nightmares to this day. not only was the incident very trying on me, but the police agency i worked for was negligent in their "method" and lack of knowledge in allowing me full autonomy with investigating this incident.