- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Novato woman sentenced for March 2021 double-fatal crash
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Novato woman has been sentenced for a double-fatal crash near Middletown last spring.
On March 7, Judge Andrew Blum sentenced Keilah Marie Coyle, 23, to probation and 364 days in jail for the March 2021 crash that killed Clearlake residents Cassandra Elaine Rolicheck, 53, and Miguel Maciel Dominguez, 47.
Coyle’s attorney, Tim Hodson of Sacramento, said he could not offer comment on the case outcome because Coyle would not clear him to do so.
Authorities said Coyle, driving a 2003 Ford F-250 pickup, had been involved in a noninjury hit-and-run crash on Highway 101 in Sonoma County on March 13.
That night, she was driving on Highway 29 north of Middletown when she crossed the highway’s solid double yellow lines and collided head-on with a 2000 GMC van driven by Rolicheck, with Dominguez riding as her passenger.
The Lake County District Attorney’s Office originally charged Coyle with several counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated plus special allegations for causing great bodily injury and the death of more than one person.
Early on in the case, Hodson declared a doubt about Coyle’s competency, which later was resolved.
Coyle remained in custody from the time of the crash until July 12, when she was released from custody by the judge so she could enroll in the Salvation Army drug/alcohol rehabilitation program in San Francisco, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Hinchcliff said Coyle completed and graduated from that program, then started an outpatient drug/alcohol program.
The District Attorney’s Office made an offer to Coyle to plead to vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence causing bodily injury and causing great bodily injury. Hinchcliff said the offer carried a maximum potential of seven to eight months in prison.
“We made the offer open, so at sentencing the judge could sentence her to anything from felony probation with some jail time, up to seven years eight months in prison, at the judge’s discretion,” Hinchcliff said.
He said the Probation Department did a sentencing investigation and report, and recommended a grant of probation.
Factors that Hinchcliff said the District Attorney’s Office weighed in making the offer was the fact Coyle was only 22 years old at the time of the crash and she had no criminal history. “Both of those factors are ones that significantly weigh in favor of felony probation.”
Another factor in Coyle’s favor was her completion of the drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, Hinchcliff said.
On Jan. 28, Coyle, in accordance with the agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, entered her pleas, Hinchcliff said.
That led to Judge Blum sentencing her on March 7.
New sentencing laws require that when a defendant is youthful, in this case under age 26, and has no criminal record, courts cannot impose upper or middle terms. Rather, judges in these cases can only impose probation or the low term.
In addition to the felony probation and jail time, Hinchcliff said Coyle must not be in possession of or use alcohol, she must participate in an alcohol treatment program and pay restitution.
If Coyle violates her probation, she could be ordered to serve additional time in state prison, up to an additional five and a half years, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said Coyle did 360 days in custody between time served in the Lake County Jail and the residential treatment program. With the half-time credits she also received, she had an overall credit total of 720 days.
Due to those excess credits, Coyle needed to serve no further time and has been released, Hinchcliff said.
This was not the result of new changes in the law. “It’s been that way for years,” Hinchcliff said of the credits.
He said she is now transferring her probation to Marin County, where she lives.
He said the offer, approved by District Attorney Susan Krones, was “definitely within the norm, and if anything was potentially more serious than what might be considered the norm under the circumstances.”
He said that’s because the District Attorney’s Office made an offer that could have resulted in significant prison time.
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