Driver with 11 Past Citations Involved in Bike/Car Accident
A 22-year-old New Port Beach woman was believed to have been driving under the influence when she was involved in a car-bicycle accident with a 41-year-old man. 22-year-old Diane Marie Miller was driving her Volkswagen Jetta when she collided with Amine Britel.
Britel died at the scene of the accident and Miller was taken to county jail but posted bail the following day. Miller was suspected of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to the OC Register report. Miller has reportedly received roughly 17 citations since 2005, some of which were dismissed. However, 11 citations that were not dismissed included citations for speeding, talking on a cell phone, failure to stop, making an unsafe turn, following too closely, and driving against traffic on a one-way street. The report states this car-bicycle accident is currently under investigation by police.
This incident is one of many that demonstrate how dangerous riding a bicycle in certain streets can be. In some areas where bike paths may be significantly narrower than in other areas, it could make it more difficult for a rider to pass and could create a dangerous situation where a rider could be struck by an oncoming vehicle. That is just one of many scenarios that can occur in a car-bicycle accident. This incident is worsened by the fact that the driver already had several citations against her for various things. Some of the reasons for a citation indicate very reckless driving which can easily cause serious accidents. This car-bicycle accident could have easily been avoided and nobody would have lost their lives if this woman had followed sound judgment and had not been driving under the influence of any substance or alcohol.
