Woman who drove off Pescadero cliff, killing passenger, takes plea deal

An Arcata woman pleaded no contest Friday to felony vehicular manslaughter in exchange for a maximum sentence of two years in prison for driving over a San Mateo County cliff while under the influence of alcohol resulting in the death of a patron in her conveyance prosecutors commented Madeline St Pierre also admitted to two statements of serious felonies according to the San Mateo County District Attorney s Office St Pierre was originally charged with vehicular manslaugter driving under the influence resulting in injury to another and driving with a BAC of higher than resulting in injury to another each with enhancements for causing great bodily injury prosecutors disclosed San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe and St Pierre s defense attorney Lauren Potter did not at once respond Monday to requests for comment At about p m on Oct St Pierre was driving a Kia on Pescadero Creek Road toward Highway at an unsafe speed prosecutors revealed St Pierre drove through a stop sign and into the parking lot of a state beach where she then crashed into the metal guardrail and went over the edge of a cliff St Pierre s car landed in the water at the bottom of the -foot cliff prosecutors disclosed Crisis response workers responded to the scene after passersby called prosecutors announced Nicolas Vargas a -year-old resident of Watsonville had been riding in the back seat St Pierre and a female tourist who had been sitting in the front seat attempted to pull Vargas out of the water prosecutors noted He was pronounced dead at the scene Related Articles It s good to be king Attorneys spar in opening statements of former SMCCD chancellor s corruption trial Trump appeals guilty verdicts in Stormy Daniels hush money circumstance complains of political bias Not how any of us want to live Judge orders Margin Patrol boss to court daily to review use of force Court docs detail casualties accounts of being drugged sexually assaulted by South Bay barber Lawsuit Vet who came to granddaughter s SJSU graduation effectively boiled alive in hotel shower St Pierre had a fractured tailbone and the female guest suffered a fractured wrist in the crash prosecutors added Officers who responded to the case informed that St Pierre was showing signs of being under the influence and smelled like alcohol prosecutors added When her BAC was measured about three hours and minutes after the crash it was percent executives reported The occurrence was continued to Jan at a m for sentencing St Pierre remains out of custody on a bail bond