IkeaBoy
10-01-2001, 10:11 PM
[i]Gayheart Faces Manslaughter Charge
Rebecca Gayheart could face jail time over a June accident in which she hit and killed a young boy.
The Los Angeles City Attorney's office confirmed Monday that it is moving forward with a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge against the onetime Beverly Hills, 90210 princess and Noxzema Girl.
The decision to charge Gayheart came September 18, after the Los Angeles District Attorney declined to press a more serious felony charge. The D.A.'s office said detectives failed to provide evidence of gross negligence--i.e., whether alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor in Gayheart's driving.
However, the city attorney's office determined the police investigation did turn up enough evidence to charge the actress with the lesser count.
"It's based on the facts as they are presented and subsequent investigation that it appears there was criminal negligence in her driving," Deputy City Attorney Deborah Ramirez told E! Online.
The misdemeanor manslaughter charge carries up to a year in county jail, a $1,000 fine and one-year suspension of license.
The 28-year-old former model was cruising through Hollywood on June 13 in a friend's '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee when she struck 9-year-old Jorge Cruz Jr. as he crossed the street.
According to the police report, the boy lived in the area and was walking home from school. He crossed the street about 160 feet from the nearest crosswalk.
While several cars stopped to let him go, Gayheart allegedly swerved around the traffic and into a two-way left-turn lane, but failed to see the boy. Ramirez said that at least four witnesses reported her to be driving about 40 mph when her jeep ran into Cruz. The child was taken to L.A.'s Children's Hospital where he died the next day.
Police interviewed Gayheart at the scene of the accident, but did not arrest her because she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The boy's parents, Jorge Cruz and Silvia Martinez, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit August 6 against Gayheart, citing negligence in her driving and holding her accountable for their son's death.
Gayheart, who paid for Cruz's hospital and funeral expenses, later released a statement expressing her "sorrow and regret" over the incident, but denied any wrongdoing.
"There are no words to express my sorrow and regret over the accident. I send my prayers, thoughts and deepest sympathy to the family," she said. "Despite the allegations in the lawsuit, the facts will establish that this was a most unfortunate accident. The pain of this tragedy will live with me forever."
The Kentucky-born Gayheart first found fame doing ads as the "fresh-faced" Noxzema Girl, before turning to acting. She played Luke Perry's wife on Beverly Hills, 90210, had a role in the short-lived ABC series Wasteland and starred in such teen flicks as Urban Legend, Scream 2, and 1999's Jawbreaker.
Carrot Man to Big Apple: I Miss my baby carrot.
Rebecca Gayheart could face jail time over a June accident in which she hit and killed a young boy.
The Los Angeles City Attorney's office confirmed Monday that it is moving forward with a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge against the onetime Beverly Hills, 90210 princess and Noxzema Girl.
The decision to charge Gayheart came September 18, after the Los Angeles District Attorney declined to press a more serious felony charge. The D.A.'s office said detectives failed to provide evidence of gross negligence--i.e., whether alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor in Gayheart's driving.
However, the city attorney's office determined the police investigation did turn up enough evidence to charge the actress with the lesser count.
"It's based on the facts as they are presented and subsequent investigation that it appears there was criminal negligence in her driving," Deputy City Attorney Deborah Ramirez told E! Online.
The misdemeanor manslaughter charge carries up to a year in county jail, a $1,000 fine and one-year suspension of license.
The 28-year-old former model was cruising through Hollywood on June 13 in a friend's '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee when she struck 9-year-old Jorge Cruz Jr. as he crossed the street.
According to the police report, the boy lived in the area and was walking home from school. He crossed the street about 160 feet from the nearest crosswalk.
While several cars stopped to let him go, Gayheart allegedly swerved around the traffic and into a two-way left-turn lane, but failed to see the boy. Ramirez said that at least four witnesses reported her to be driving about 40 mph when her jeep ran into Cruz. The child was taken to L.A.'s Children's Hospital where he died the next day.
Police interviewed Gayheart at the scene of the accident, but did not arrest her because she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The boy's parents, Jorge Cruz and Silvia Martinez, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit August 6 against Gayheart, citing negligence in her driving and holding her accountable for their son's death.
Gayheart, who paid for Cruz's hospital and funeral expenses, later released a statement expressing her "sorrow and regret" over the incident, but denied any wrongdoing.
"There are no words to express my sorrow and regret over the accident. I send my prayers, thoughts and deepest sympathy to the family," she said. "Despite the allegations in the lawsuit, the facts will establish that this was a most unfortunate accident. The pain of this tragedy will live with me forever."
The Kentucky-born Gayheart first found fame doing ads as the "fresh-faced" Noxzema Girl, before turning to acting. She played Luke Perry's wife on Beverly Hills, 90210, had a role in the short-lived ABC series Wasteland and starred in such teen flicks as Urban Legend, Scream 2, and 1999's Jawbreaker.
Carrot Man to Big Apple: I Miss my baby carrot.