Novato woman charged in Middletown double-fatal crash makes court appearance
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The District Attorney’s Office has filed numerous charges against a Novato woman who authorities say was driving drunk late Saturday night when she crashed into a van, killing two Clearlake residents.
Keilah Marie Coyle, 21, made her first appearance in Lake County Superior Court on Tuesday.
Officers with the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office took Coyle into custody early Sunday, about an hour after the wreck that claimed the lives of Miguel Maciel Dominguez, 47, and Cassandra Elaine Rolicheck, 53.
Shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, Coyle was driving her black 2003 Ford F-250 pickup southbound on Highway 29 near Bar X Road north of Middletown when she crossed the highway’s solid double yellow lines and collided head-on with the 2000 GMC van that Rolicheck was driving northbound.
Both Dominguez and Rolicheck were declared dead at the scene, the CHP said.
The CHP also reported that, about five hours before the fatal wreck, Coyle had been involved in a hit-and-run crash in Sonoma County. She was on Highway 101, south of Gravenstein Highway, when she hit a 2017 Mercedes GLE350 and then fled the scene. In that crash, no injuries were reported.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff told Lake County News that Coyle was still in custody when she was arraigned on Tuesday.
Hinchcliff filed a criminal complaint against Coyle on Monday that includes eight felony charges and three special allegations.
Coyle is charged with two counts each of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, negligent vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence causing injury.
The special allegations include causing great bodily injury to both victims and an enhancement that would give additional prison time on conviction for causing death to more than one person.
The complaint notes that the two negligent vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated charges and the great bodily injury special allegation are all serious felonies under California’s three-strikes law.
Hinchcliff said Coyle indicated during her appearance that she wants to hire her own attorney.
She will return to court on March 23 at 10 a.m. in Department 2 for appearance of counsel, Hinchcliff said.
He said her bail remains at $2 million, and Lake County Jail records showed on Tuesday night that she is still in custody.
Hinchcliff said he’s not sure why Coyle was in Lake County that night.
“We are doing additional investigation to answer questions like that,” he said.
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