Camarillo Man Arrested on Suspicion of DUI and Vehicular Manslaughter
Nicholas Lagrotta, 23, of Camarillo was arrested Aug. 28 on suspicion of striking and killing a jogger on a Thousand Oaks street. Police say, Lagrotta, who hit 46-year-old Kerry Marsh as she was jogging in a bicycle lane on Lindero Canyon Road, was driving under the influence of alcohol, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.
The impact from the crash reportedly threw Marsh into some bushes by the side of the road. Police, who responded to Lagrotta’s accident after he crashed into a tree, realized he had hit someone when they saw Marsh’s running shoes on the side of the road. Apparently, they had to use a thermal imager to find Marsh’s body. Lagrotta was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.
A driver may face a vehicular manslaughter charge when he or she causes an accident, which causes the death of another person. If alcohol was a factor in the accident, prosecutors tend to charge the driver with vehicular manslaughter even if he or she was not at fault and even if the accident was unavoidable. Law enforcement officials often jump to the conclusion that the drunk driver was at fault. Police and CHP reports tend to be prepared in a hurry and are almost always slanted against the intoxicated driver.
If you have been charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving, you should bring an experienced California vehicular manslaughter lawyer into the case immediately so an independent toxicology analysis and accident reconstruction can be done while the evidence is still fresh. Time is of the essence in these defense investigations. Our Southern California DUI defense attorneys have successfully handled vehicular manslaughter cases as former prosecutors and now, as defense lawyers. Our background in law enforcement and connection with some of the top collision and alcohol consultants in the case helps us get our clients acquitted and keep them out of jail.
