| For Immediate Release Case # 09WM05848
July 6, 2009 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
VACATIONING ITALIAN NATIONAL CONVICTED OF KILLING MOTORCYCLIST IN CRASH AFTER MAKING UNSAFE TURN INTO HUNTINGTON BEACH INTERSECTION
WESTMINSTER – A vacationing Italian national was convicted today of killing a motorcyclist after causing a crash by making an unsafe left turn into a Huntington Beach intersection. Marlies Mussner, 24, St. Christina, Italy, pleaded guilty to the court to one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter by unlawful act. She was sentenced to 45 days in jail, 250 hours of community service, and ordered to make a $1,000 charitable donation to the Dana Watkins Memorial Fund, a charity established by the mother of a man killed in a motorcycle crash to help families pay the funeral costs for their deceased children.
On June 26, 2009, Mussner, an Italian national, was on vacation in Orange County. At approximately 5:20 p.m., Mussner was driving eastbound on Garfield Avenue in Huntington Beach in a rented Dodge Caliber. At the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Edwards Street, Mussner made an unsafe left turn from the turn lane on a green light in front of oncoming westbound traffic, including a Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by 59-year-old Mark Montgomery.
The victim hit his brakes but was unable to stop in time to avoid crashing into the right front portion of Mussner’s car. Montgomery was thrown from his motorcycle. He was transported to Huntington Beach Hospital, where he died approximately 30 minutes after the crash due to blunt force trauma.
Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.
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