Woman, 24, Charged With Murder In Fatal DUI Crash In Lake Forest

SANTA ANA (CBSLA) – A 24-year-old woman who is suspected of being under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she was involved in a crash that killed a 42-year-old Santa Ana man in Lake Forest in 2016 has been charged with murder.

Jacie Cornish of Foothill Ranch was arrested Monday on one count of murder in the collision that killed Jose Barrazasoto.

Cornish was driving a Hyundai sedan in the early morning hours of Oct. 1, 2016, when she collided into a Ford pickup truck being driven by Barrazasoto on Alton Parkway near the 241 Toll Road, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD).

Barrazasoto died at the scene and Cornish suffered minor injuries. Barrazosoto's wife, who was in the passenger seat, was also hurt.

Cornish was driving at over 100 miles per hour at the time, the sheriff's department said. She also had a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 and a trace amounts of marijuana in her blood, OCSD reports.

Because Cornish had a prior DUI conviction in August 2015, she was eligible for "Watson Murder" charges, the sheriff's department said.

In California, if a person who has a DUI conviction is involved in a second fatal DUI crash, they are eligible to face murder charges.

Cornish is being held on $1 million bail. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison.