Palm Desert Woman Suspected Of DUI In Double Fatal Crash Involving Golf Cart
THOUSAND PALMS (CBSLA.com) — Authorities say a woman was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and traveling at twice the speed limit when her vehicle rear-ended a golf cart, killing two men in Thousand Palms.
Angela Lavanty, 32, of Palm Desert, was being held without bail at the Riverside County jail in Indio on suspicion of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of DUI, causing great bodily injury, according to jail records.
She is scheduled to make her first court appearance in Indio on Friday.
The crash was reported at 3:18 p.m. Wednesday in the intersection of Desert Moon and Colonial drives, within the Tri-Palm Estates community, California Highway Patrol Indio spokesman Mike Radford said.
Lavanty was driving her 2006 Mercedes ML350 SUV north on Desert Moon Drive and pulled directly behind the golf cart occupied by two people and two dogs, authorities said. The golf cart was driving legally within the community and not on a golf course, Radford said.
The speed limit on Desert Moon Drive is 25 miles per hour, but CHP investigators say Lavanty was driving at more than 50 miles per hour when she struck the golf cart from behind, causing major damage and throwing the occupants from the cart.
A 76-year-old man who was driving the golf cart and his passenger died at the scene, as did both dogs, Radford said.
The victims' identities were not released, pending notification of kin.
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