An accident suspect responsible for a Santa Barbara, California, accident that left her passenger injured, needs the expertise of a top accident lawyer. On Wednesday, May 20th, 19-year-old Sophia Nicole Koch, accompanied by her attorney, turned herself in at the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Anthony Wagner, the spokesman for SBPD said Koch was intoxicated at the time of the accident that occurred in the Mesa area of the city on Thursday, May 7th. The preliminary accident report showed that Koch was driving a stolen Land Rover going over 100 miles per hour.
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The teenager was unable to control the speed and clipped a parked vehicle before slamming into another on the 1500-block of Cliff Drive. Koch sustained minor injuries from the crash while her passenger, Maesyn Fitzgibbons, 20, sustained severe wounds.
The police added that the impact of the crash was significant enough to propel a parked Scion sedan 160 feet down the roadway. They also discovered that the suspect stole the Land Rover from a gathering in the city, but they have not verified the location.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office charged the teenage driver with three felonies. They include driving under the influence causing injury, driving with blood alcohol greater than .08 percent causing damage, and vehicle theft.
Koch is also facing a misdemeanor count of driving without a license, enhancement charges of excess speed, refusing to take or complete a blood alcohol/drug test, and being a habitual criminal. She is at the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $100 000.
Those involved in DUI-related crashes should hire a top accident lawyer to represent their interest.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
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