A woman who was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in Livermore when she lost control of her SUV, killing two of her passengers, has pleaded no contest to murder charges. She faces 15 years to life in prison, authorities said Wednesday.
Lauren Davis, who has a history of driving under the influence, entered her pleas Monday to two counts of second-degree murder in the 2017 deaths of Violet Campbell, 16, and Alexys Garcia, 25, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley said.
On Nov. 22, 2017, the night before Thanksgiving, Davis was driving her SUV with four passengers in Livermore when she lost control of the vehicle, careening off the side of the road and rolling over several times.
Campbell was seated in the seat behind the driver and died instantly. Garcia was in the rear passenger seat and was thrown from the vehicle. She died seven days later at a hospital from massive head injuries, O'Malley said.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Two other passengers were injured, but not seriously. Davis, who was 26 at the time, also was not seriously injured.
Witnesses said Davis drove through a red light. A California Highway Patrol expert estimated her speed was 70 to 80 mph.
“This senseless tragedy took the lives of two young women and could have been avoided,” O’Malley said.
Local
Six months before the deadly crash, Davis had pleaded guilty to alcohol-related reckless driving in a 2016 case. She also had 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.
