Driver sentenced for fatal motorcycle crash that killed SP woman, friend

February 15, 2012
Santa Paula News

A Studio City woman at the wheel of a limousine involved in a 2011 Oxnard crash that killed two women on a motorcycle, one a Santa Paula resident, was sentenced last week during an emotional court hearing.

At the February 9 hearing in Ventura Thursday afternoon, 47-year-old Stephanie Pinkard was sentenced to three years informal probation and 300 hours of community service.  

Pinkard was not given any custody time, and had earlier pleaded no contest to misdemeanor manslaughter charges related to the crash that killed Carmen Valenzuela, 20, of Santa Paula and her friend 22-year-old Courtney Bombardo of Oxnard. Bombardo, a Navy Seabee who had completed two tours in Afghanistan, was driving a motorcycle with Valenzuela as her passenger northbound on Rice Road on January 9, 2011 when at about 5:20 p.m. Pinkard made a left turn from southbound Rice Road to eastbound Camino Del Sol. 

At the time of the accident Oxnard Police investigators said although the light was green for traffic going straight, the left turn arrows had expired at the time Pinkard made the turn. Bombardo was unable to stop the motorcycle and it slammed into the passenger side of the Lincoln Town Car limousine, killing Bombardo instantly.

Valenzuela was transported to Ventura County Medical Center, where she died that evening at about 9:50 p.m. Pinkard and her passenger did not sustain injuries in the crash.

Prosecutors had stated there was no alcohol involved and no gross negligence involved in the accident. Pinkard, who previously met privately with the families of the two women to apologize for what happened, also offered an emotional apology in last week’s court hearing.





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