EL CAJON (CNS/CBS 8) – News 8 has exclusively learned new details about an alleged drunk driver accused in the deaths of two people in a freeway crash near Alpine nearly six months ago.
Sunny Hall, 30, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of DUI causing death and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. She faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted, said Deputy District Attorney Douglas Rose.
According to an arrest warrant obtained exclusively by News 8, Hall initially denied she had been drinking, but later admitted to officers to consuming four drinks that day.
The documents also indicate that when questioned by paramedics, Hall tried to leave the scene of the fatal crash. Furthermore, the papers show that a blood test revealed Hall tested positive for cocaine and her blood alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit.
The deadly series of crashes that culminated with the double fatality began shortly before 3 a.m. on June 11, when 25-year-old Angela August lost control of her eastbound 2009 Toyota Yaris for unknown reasons on Interstate 8, just west of Tavern Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The compact car went up a roadside embankment, then overturned and rolled several times before coming to rest across the far left-hand lane of the freeway, with August pinned inside.
A short time later, 59 year-old Jimmy Arevalo of El Centro pulled his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in front of August's car and was standing alongside the damaged Yaris, talking to the CHP on his cell phone, when Hall's eastbound 2003 Audi A6 plowed into the overturned car and Arevalo, according to Rose.
The arrest warrant also contains the results of a crash reconstruction test, in which an accident reconstruction expert and an expert on injury biomechanics both studied the evidence. They found that August survived the initial rollover in her Yaris, but was killed by the impact of Hall slamming into her stationary car.
Hall was arrested after the crash, but was released while authorities completed their investigation. After surrendering to authorities, Hall was today ordered held in lieu of $350,000 bail.
Hall will be back in court Friday for a bail review. A readiness conference was set for Dec. 14 and a preliminary hearing for Dec. 17.