Driver in fatal accident charged with murder

Mary A. Castillo

The driver of the Ford Explorer that overturned on Feb. 12 killing

22-year-old Laguna Beach resident Jennifer Bammer is scheduled for a

pre-hearing conference next week.

Audrey Brecht, 19, of Seal Beach, was arrested on suspicion of

vehicular manslaughter. At her arraignment, the charges against her

included murder.

Bammer, Brecht and another passenger were on their way to the ski

slopes of Mammoth when the accident happened at about 9 p.m.

“The driver lost control of the vehicle, and it overturned on the

center median” California Highway Patrol Sgt. Brian Biehl said.

“[Bammer] was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.”

The second passenger and the driver were injured. The three were

headed northbound on Highway 395, and Bammer was not wearing her seat

belt at the time of the accident, Biehl said.

Brecht was arraigned in Mono County Court on charges of murder,

driving under the influence causing injury and driving with a 0.08

blood-alcohol level causing injury.

She is being held on $1 million bail at the Mono County Jail in

Bridgeport. If she is convicted of murder, she is eligible to be

sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

“She plead not guilty,” Asst. Dist. Atty. Tim Kendall said.

Although she was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter,

Kendall said he charged Brecht with second-degree murder because

circumstances in the case and in Brecht’s background justify implied

malice.

“Malice is implied when killing results from an intentional act,

the natural consequences of the act are dangerous to human life and

the act is performed with knowledge of danger to human life,” he

said.

Kendall confirmed that Brecht has a juvenile history involving

drinking and driving.

Bammer graduated from Laguna Beach High School in 1999. She is

survived by her parents, James and Nancy, her older brother Larry, a

Laguna Beach police officer, and a younger sister, Stefanie.