People v. Sanders CA5

FACTS

Just after 8:00 p.m., on April 29, 2018, witnesses saw defendant driving his vehicle in the city of Bakersfield, traveling southbound. He was driving at a high rate of speed, using the northbound lane to pass other southbound traffic while holding a cellular phone. Defendant returned to the southbound lane of the street as he approached an intersection. Jane M. was in her vehicle approaching the same intersection in the eastbound lane. When she entered the intersection, she began making a U-turn into the westbound lane. When defendant entered the intersection, his vehicle hit the driver’s side door of Jane’s vehicle. The impact caused defendant’s vehicle to roll over and Jane’s vehicle to spin several times. Jane died within seconds from traumatic blunt force trauma. She suffered severe internal injuries, including a massive hemorrhage of her aorta. Electronic data retrieved from defendant’s vehicle indicated he was traveling at a speed of at least 66 miles per hour and did not deploy the brakes in the time immediately preceding the collision. Neither vehicle exhibited pre-collision mechanical issues. Data from Jane’s vehicle indicated it was making a hard left turn at the…