LA bike lawyer Daniel Jimenez, known in the bicycling community as Dj Wheels, reports that Christine Dahab will spend the next year behind bars.
As noted yesterday, Dahab was sentence today at the Airport Courthouse for her role in the Culver City 13 collision, in which 13 riders were injured, some critically; initial reports said 11 riders had been injured.
Dahab was intoxicated and allegedly driving distracted when she plowed into the group of riders taking a break on the side of Jefferson Place, on the border between LA and Culver City. She entered a guilty plea in April, and was ordered to complete a 90-day evaluation period in state prison.
According to Jimenez, after victim impact statements were read today, she was sentenced to an additional 16 months in state prison; however, that was suspended in lieu of 365 days in county jail. She will likely receive credit for the 90 days already served.
The reduced sentence was most likely imposed as a result of California’s current prison overcrowding; the state is sending many prisoners to local jails to comply with a court order to reduce the prison population.
That is some B.S one year she will only do may be another 90 days more including the 90 day credit that she has. How many people does she need to kill so they can really punish her?
I could be wrong, but my understanding is that the original sentence of 16 months in prison means she’ll have to serve the full term in county.
Any info on whether or not she’ll have her license revoked for any period of time?
That’s all the information Jimenez was able to get over the phone today. We’ll have to wait until we can get a look at the transcript next week to answer that question.
If only they could make her pay for all 13 victim’s medical bills … I know … that’ll never happen.
At least she got some jail time, which is more than some who actually kill cyclists get.
Hey – time in jail for driving into a herd of cyclists. That is something.
I do wish she could be on the hook for the medical expenses.
She may still be liable in civil court right? If individual victims bring suit against her she should be.
I haven’t heard anything specifically about civil suits in this case, but I’d be shocked if there aren’t at least a dozen lined waiting to settle. Of course, the problem is, unless she has adequate insurance, there may not be any money to pay out.
As I understand it each of the victims may claim up to 1/3 of her income before taxes until the judgement is paid, so that means she could have to pay out 4 times as much as she makes until all judgements are paid off.
Pay out? I hope Christine counter sues, and hires a lawyer to find out what’s in the blood of the victims. Don’t get me wrong for the true victims that were wearing lights and safety helmets and not drinking or doing anything wrong there has been a punishment and should have financial compensation. However, let the public know the alcohol that was in the blood level of the victims and the dope as well, then lets talk about a pay day..
So, you’re saying that it is against the law to have alcohol in your system when you’re standing on the side of the road, and a drunk driver plows into you? Seriously?
Had they been riding their bikes with a BAC over .08, there might be a legitimate cause of action if their actions contributed in any way to the collision. But they weren’t even on their bikes when Dahab plowed into a large group of well-lighted people.
Sorry, but trying the twist the facts after her well-deserved sentencing doesn’t do a goddam thing.
You are the ones twisting the facts…all I am saying or asking is post the police report where it reveals the blood contents of the victims.. Never been discussed..I am not excusing drinking and driving. I am asking that the public not to be a sheep and just automatically assume because Christine had alcohol that means it was ALL her fault, when the POLICE, not one, but BOTH agencies said she was not at fault. Why is that not blogged about? Let the truth come out whatever it is? Those involved in the accident know the truth. Where they drag racing in the middle of the street or not at 130 in the morning? Did they also smoke dope or not? Did they drink and have it in their blood and if so how much? Does that matter if they did? Just wondering why there is no balance on these sites. I mean no disrespect to honest law abiding cyclists. However, there are cyclists that do not obey the laws. This group was an admitted party ride. Late at night? Don’t believe me see the police report from the riders own words…and no I am not saying its illegal to have alcohol in your system STANDING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD…I am saying or asking rather if they had alcohol and were standing by the road how were they going to get home? And some were not standing by the curb. Maybe the sentence was fair however I as a responsible parent will better monitor my minors behavior at night and I would like to say I will try to balance and search for the truth.
It’s never been discussed because it has absolutely no relevance to the case. No more than if I had been drunk while watching TV in my living room when a driver crashed into my house.
And if the police had said she wasn’t at fault, she wouldn’t have been charged.
As for drag racing, please. Cars drag race at high speeds, posing a significant threat to everyone else on the road. Even if some — some — of the riders were racing, it was at low speed and posed no harm to anyone. Using a pejorative term like drag racing does nothing more than try to paint the victims in an inappropriately bad light.
And everyone — everyone – has known from the beginning that this was a late night party ride. Why on earth would you think that would come as a surprise to anyone? That has absolutely no bearing on the actions of Ms. Dahab.
Yes, there is an argument that some of those riders were too young to be out on a ride like that, and that some parents should monitor the actions of their children better. If my underage child had been there, he or she would have been grounded until they were 30.
But again, what happened prior to the collision, or what the riders were doing as they legally stood on the side of the road, has absolutely no relevance to the actions of Ms. Dahab. She, and she alone, is responsible for her decision to drive under the influence, and somehow fail to see a large group of well-lighted people on the side of the road, or manage to keep her car on it.
Anything else is merely a shameful attempt to blame the victims and deflect blame from someone who has already confessed to the charges. Which certainly makes me wonder just what axe you have to grind here.
“And if the police had said she wasn’t at fault, she wouldn’t have been charged”…..not true see the police report…reason she was charged was politics…I really disagree with your claim that appears to me to excuse illegal conduct across the board! However, there are victims that were hurt and did EVERYTHING legal. Wearing helmets, lights, not racing opposite of traffic in front of a corner, but was standing. To those affected again I sympathize and my heart ones out. I just cannot in good faith agree and blame Christine solely. Was she at fault for drinking YES..was she the cause if I had alcohol, was in the street and was high riding my bike…the answer for me is more gray. No axe to grind only a hope to be fair. It’s not fair if those injured were just as drunk or high as Christine was and it doesn’t get mentioned. You are mentioning ONLY those injured who were standing. My axe is kindled against those people who know the truth and choose to paint a different picture of it. It’s easy to blame in life. Sometimes for some people it’s harder to accept responsibility. My axe is towards those individuals.
lol
You know what is interesting to me is that NOT one of the cyclists during this ride accepted ANY responsibility for there part in the accident. Does the cyclists community KNOW that BOTH police agencies state that the crash WAS NOT Christine’s fault? Does the cyclist community know that ONE of the riders admitted that the group was drag racing in the middle the of the street shortly before the crash? It appears that it easier to blame someone for their fault and over look that the group of riders where drinking ALSO and smoking dope. Justice right?
Sorry, but when a driver is legally intoxicated, allegedly distracted and plows down a group of people standing on the side of the road, it is the driver’s fault. And she admitted her guilt and was convicted in a court of law.
The reason no one has admitted their fault in this is that it wasn’t their fault. And whether anyone was racing on their bikes — seriously? — drinking, stoned out of their fucking minds or having a goddam orgy on the side of the road has absolutely no bearing on what Dahab did behind the wheel.
Guess you proved my point! To me before I blame or go against the police reports findings, if others actions equally contributed to their harm, I am responsible enough to accept responsibility for my own actions and hope mature people would do the same. Guess that comes with age hopefully. Seriously, you do not think if you race in the MIDDLE (against traffic see the police report) and you get hit you don’t have some fault? Now, if you are equally as drunk if not more and equally high, you don’t have fault? Well please bikinginla if you ride your bike please stay and ride away from me. I will accept responsibility for my actions, it does not appear you would.
They were hit while standing on the side of the road. They were not hit while “drag racing against traffic”. A drunk driver of a CAR encased in STEEL carelessly plowed into them as they stood well-lit on the side of the road. You have no argument.
[…] Christine Dahab Gets Year in Jail for Crash That Maimed Dozens of K-Town Ridazz (Biking in L.A.) […]
Tell the drunk high cyclists stay out of the road at 1:30am. However, for the honest law abiding victims my condolences for their pain and anguish.
Tell you what. I’ll tell them to stay out of the road, if you tell all the drunk, distracted drivers to stay off the road.
Like the one you’re trying so goddam hard to deflect the blame from.
If Dahab had been sober and paying attention to the road right in front of her, this never would have happened — even if every last one of those riders standing on the side of the road was drunk or stoned.
But the point is they were not standing but in the middle of the road. Please see the police report.
I was told the official results of the investigation from the LAPD when they handed it off to the Culver City police, as well as hearing directly from witnesses at the scene.
Despite initial incorrect reports, all the victims were stopped on the side of the roadway outside of the traffic lanes when they were hit by Dahab’s car. All of them.
Not true see the courts transcripts. ALL of them. Also cross reference to DMV hearings with actual riders from that night. The facts like in life rarely get reported correctly. I am not excusing drinking and driving. I am only trying to bring balance and an attempt to portray the truth. The truth is whether you or me would like to admit there is more fault to go around than what you are claiming. From yes Christine, the city, but also the riders. A lesser point too is that the park has stated hours from sunrise to sunset. They should not have been there either at that time. The reason I got on here was from the claim you posted about insurance money and civil suits. I hope comparative fault will be discussed there limiting “pay days” to those that truly deserve it.
That’s what lawyers are for, Mr. C. This is not the appropriate forum to litigate this case. If Dahab’s lawyers do their jobs, any such evidence will introduced in court. It has nothing to do with her criminal conviction or sentencing.
Why is anyone still responding to Mr. C? I’m amazed conversations with him went on as long as they did.
I always try to give people a chance to be reasonable. Sometimes it actually works.