Perris DUI Offender
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A probationer accused of driving under the influence and causing a wreck at a Moreno Valley intersection that killed a 37-year- old man is slated to be arraigned next week.
Misty Lynn Britan, 42, of Perris was arrested on Dec. 30 in connection with the death of Yoseph Asfaw of Moreno Valley.
Britan is charged with second-degree murder.
Until earlier this week, she had been hospitalized at Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, recovering from moderate injuries that she received in the crash that killed Asfaw. Three previous arraignments were postponed due to her hospitalization. However, she has since been cleared by doctors to make a court appearance, which was set for 9 a.m. Thursday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
Asfaw was fatally injured shortly after 6 p.m. on Dec. 29 at Frederick Street and Alessandro Boulevard.
Sgt. Marcos Acosta said the victim was at the wheel of a vehicle impacted by Britan’s car, though specific details were not disclosed.
Firefighters reached the location within minutes and discovered the two motorists trapped in the wreckage. No other vehicles were involved.
The defendant and victim were extricated and transported to the county- run medical center, where Asfaw died less than an hour later.
Britan spent more than a week in recovery before was transferred to the Smith jail.
According to court records, she has prior misdemeanor convictions for vandalism and driving under the influence. She was also charged in June with three counts of DUI resulting in injuries, as well as one count each of child endangerment and driving on a suspended license.
No details were available regarding that case, but it’s expected to be consolidated with the murder case.
Under California law, when a known DUI offender causes a crash resulting in fatalities, he or she can be charged with murder because of having received a “Watson advisement” when the defendant was previously convicted. The advisement, which is read into the record, warns of the potential for a murder charge — not manslaughter — if the party is responsible for causing a future deadly DUI collision.
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