People v. Ritter CA4/1

I.

BACKGROUND

A. Automobile Collision Ritter drove his truck at 70 to 80 miles per hour on a road where the speed limit was 45 miles per hour and weaved in and out of traffic, causing other motorists to have to swerve out of the way to avoid collision. Ritter ultimately crashed his truck at full speed into a line of cars stopped at a traffic light. The driver of the car that Ritter’s truck struck was killed, and the driver of the next car in line broke his back. Ritter himself broke a femur and facial bones, suffered extreme pain, and repeatedly told first responders he wanted to die and asked to be shot. B. Trial Court Proceedings 1. Charges The People charged Ritter with one count of murder (Pen. Code, § 187, subd. (a)) and one count of driving under the influence of a drug and causing

2 bodily injury to another (Veh. Code, § 23153, subd. (f)). As an enhancement to the driving under the influence charge, the People alleged Ritter personally inflicted great bodily injury on the victim who broke his back. (Pen. Code, § 12022.7, subd. (a).) 2. People’s Case Several eyewitnesses testified about Ritter’s reckless driving and the resultant collision, as described in part I.A.,…