GILROY
– An Eagle Ridge resident had her 3-month-old daughter in the
car as she allegedly drove drunk Wednesday night through the gated
community’s roads, city police say. It resulted in a hit-and-run
crash and a second, rollover wreck. Police arrested the mom, and
her baby was flown to the hospital –
a precautionary measure.
GILROY – An Eagle Ridge resident had her 3-month-old daughter in the car as she allegedly drove drunk Wednesday night through the gated community’s roads, city police say.
It resulted in a hit-and-run crash and a second, rollover wreck. Police arrested the mom, and her baby was flown to the hospital – a precautionary measure.
Driving a 1987 Mercedes at a high rate of speed, Sabrina Francine Ortez, 24, became distracted by talking on her cell phone and was impaired by alcoholic beverages when she sideswiped a Ford car at a stop sign in front of the Eagle Ridge clubhouse, police reported.
Ortez drove off, however, and didn’t stop until she hit a tree, rolling her car onto its roof.
Ortez was not injured, and police said her crying baby, Leilani Asfour, showed no visible signs of injury at the scene of the accident. However, a CALSTAR helicopter flew the child to San Jose Medical Center for evaluation. Hospital officials reported Asfour was in good condition this morning.
The infant was in a car seat at the time of the accidents, but police said she was improperly secured into it.
Ortez’s driver’s license had already been suspended due to a prior conviction of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Police did not use a breathalyzer on Ortez but said her breath contained a “very strong odor” of alcohol, her eyes were red, bloodshot and glassy and her speech was slurred.
Police arrested Ortez on suspicion of four charges, two of them felonies:
• DUI causing injury
• corporal injury to a child, defined as to “willfully inflict cruel or inhuman physical punishment or an injury resulting in traumatic injury”
• driving with a suspended license
• hit and run.
Police did not know where Ortez might have consumed alcoholic beverages. After police read her rights, she chose to remain silent.
Ortez lives in Eagle Ridge at 1901 St. Andrew’s Circle. She is not professionally employed and does not own the car she was driving. The owner is Samir Asfour.
The tree she hit was broken and fell into the road.
Chief Photographer James M. Mohs contributed to this report. Peter Crowley covers public safety for The Dispatch. You can reach him at pc******@************ch.com or (408) 842-6400, ext. 285.
