On Friday, November 19, 2010, a Fullerton man was sentenced to two years in Orange County jail as part of his five year probation term for killing two friends while he was driving drunk.
The accident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on May 11, 2009, when Berggren, the driver, lost control of his 2006 Toyota Tacoma. He was speeding while traveling eastbound on Coyote Hills Drive in Fullerton. Berggren lost control of his vehicle when his pick-up truck started to skid. It went off the road and hit a tree, ejecting two passengers from the vehicle. Jacquelyn A. Ardalan, 19, of La Habra, and 19-year-old Miles A. Christensen, of Fullerton, died instantly from the impact. Berggren sustained facial abrasions and a skull fracture.
According to police, Berggren, who was 19 at the time of the accident, had a blood-alcohol level over 0.10 percent. In August, Berggren pleaded guilty to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. He also pleaded guilty for a penalty enhancement for causing great bodily injury. He spent 90 days in prison being evaluated by state prison officials.
After the diagnostic report from the California Department of Corrections recommended that Berggren was a candidate for probation, Superior Court Judge Robert Fitzgerald reduced Berggren’s sentence. He could have faced up to 13 years in jail for killing two people from driving under the influence of alcohol. Now, Berggren will serve two years in jail as part of his five year probation.
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price objected to this reduced sentence, saying he should receive more time because he killed two people under the influence of alcohol.
We are sorry to hear of this tragic Orange County car crash, and send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of the victims.
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