Driver Pleads Guilty in Fatal DUI Crash

A 19-year-old woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter in a Jan. 22 crash that killed a Murrieta man.

The people who allegedly supplied the alcohol to driver Ashly Nicole Rodriguez of Murrieta may also be facing charges, it was announced.

The of Murrieta occurred at about 2:55 a.m. Jan. 22 on Borel Road near Lake Skinner. Rodriguez was driving a 2006 Nissan Altima and had three passengers.

California Highway Patrol Temecula Office investigated the crash.

"Ultimately, and due to her level of intoxication, she swerved causing her vehicle to overturn," said Nathan Baer, spokesperson for Califorina Highway Patrol, Temecula area.

Rodriguez was arrested on the spot by CHP Officer Juan Garcia. If given the maximum sentence, Rodriguez could receive a 12-year prison term.

Additionally, during CHP's investigation, it was discovered that Rodriguez and her passengers were coming from a party at which minors were consuming alcoholic beverages, Baer said Tuesday, in a news release.

CHP in cooperation with investigators from the California Alcohol Beverage Control's Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies program— funded by the Office of Traffic Safety—set out to identify where the minors had acquired the alcohol, Baer said.

CHP and ABC investigators found that a 20-year-old woman and her 41-year old-mother, both Winchester residents, hosted the party at their house and furnished the alcohol to under age guests, Baer said.

Enough evidence was gathered to file charges with the Riverside County District Attorney’s office for the adults who furnished the alcohol to the minors, according to Baer.

Temecula CHP Commander Ernie Sanchez called the event "very tragic."

"...And for this reason, the CHP is not going to tolerate drinking and driving," Sanchez said. "You can count on the CHP investigating each incident where careless social hosting is suspected. Providing alcohol to minors is inexcusable, but over-serving alcohol to anyone, and allowing them to drive away impaired will also result in serious consequences."