A California woman faces a manslaughter charge after she was reportedly driving a vehicle involved in a fatal traffic collision near Stroud.
A formal count of first degree manslaughter was filed March 22 in Lincoln County District against Ariel Navarro, 32, of Banning, Calif. A $50,000 bench warrant has been issued for her arrest.
The information charges that on July 29, 2023, Navarro was driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicating substance, misdemeanor.
It alleges she was driving a 1999 Honda Accord on a public road while having an amount of marijuana, a Controlled Dangerous Substance, in her blood and as the result she injured her passenger, Brian Burke, causing his death on July 29, 2023.
State Trooper Shayne Ballard stated the fatal collision occurred shortly before 1:30 a.m. on July 29 on County Road E 810 near Old Forge Road near Stroud.
In a probable cause affidavit, Ballard states Navarro told him she had split one alcoholic beverage with Burke and she had smoked marijuana earlier in the day.
A voluntary blood draw during the investigation confirmed Navarro had THCA and THC in her blood stream at the time of the collision.
Ballard reported that physical evidence at the scene showed the 1999 Honda Accord was traveling eastbound on E. 810 County Road, she lost control of the vehicle on a gravel road, left the road to the north and the vehicle overturned, coming to rest on its top.
The vehicle landed in a shallow creek bed and Burke was pronounced dead at the collision scene, the trooper noted.
During an interview, Navarro reportedly told Ballard she was the driver of the Honda Accord and she further informed him she was not a very good driver and lost control on the gravel road.
She told the trooper she was driving because Burke was tired and falling asleep.
Ballard states in the affidavit Navarro told him she attempted to extricate Burke from the vehicle but was not able to do so.