A man in his late twenties, just hours after attending a class on the dangers of drinking and driving, recklessly crashed into an intersection in Cypress, causing a fatal multi-vehicle collision, according to a prosecutor. The defendant’s attorney, however, argues that it was a tragic accident.
Nicolas Linley Sanchez-McCormick is facing charges of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit. Additionally, he faces a sentencing enhancement for committing an offense while out on bail for vandalism.
The incident, which occurred on April 16, 2017, resulted in the death of Sanchez-McCormick’s 22-year-old girlfriend, Alexis Barragan of La Mirada.
Sanchez-McCormick’s charges were upgraded to murder due to his prior case of driving under the influence, which involved advisements on the dangers of drinking and driving.
“This is a case that represents every parent’s worst nightmare. For one family on Easter, that nightmare became a reality,” stated Deputy District Attorney Devin Campbell. “To make matters worse, the defendant, who was behind the wheel at the time, was more than twice the legal limit. This tragedy could have been avoided. The defendant has a history of law violations, alcohol consumption, speeding, and running red lights while driving under the influence.”
Barragan was a passenger in the 2005 Chevy Malibu Classic driven by the defendant on the night of the collision.
Sanchez-McCormick had previously been arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles County on New Year’s Day and had attended DUI classes as a result.
On the day of the crash, April 15, 2017, Sanchez-McCormick completed a class in Whittier near his home in the late morning. He then decided to go to Huntington Beach with his girlfriend, where he consumed a significant amount of alcohol, according to Campbell.
The collision occurred at the intersection of Katella Avenue and Valley View Street at around 12:41 a.m. while the couple was driving home.
The defendant was following another vehicle that stopped at a red light on Katella at Valley View. However, Sanchez-McCormick dangerously swerved around the car and sped through the intersection at approximately 50 to 55 mph, causing the inevitable crash, Campbell described.
First, the defendant collided with a Ford Fusion containing a couple and their 15-year-old son, who were on their way home after visiting extended family in Newport Beach. The impact sent both vehicles spinning in the intersection before a Chevy Silverado pickup truck crashed into the defendant’s car, further worsening the situation.
The defendant and his girlfriend were trapped in the car and had to be rescued by firefighters.
The defense attorney, Terri Lynn Tauro of the Public Defender’s Office, highlighted that the couple had spent the day together at the beach. When first responders arrived at the crash scene, they witnessed the defendant embracing and kissing Barragan, asking her if she was awake. Unfortunately, Barragan had already passed away.
“She was not murdered. This was a tragic accident,” asserted Tauro.
Tauro also argued that the evidence presented during the trial would not definitively reveal her client’s exact blood-alcohol level.
The defense attorney acknowledged that the defendant was driving above the speed limit but within the flow of traffic, not exceeding 10 mph over the limit. She urged the jurors to be attentive during the testimonies of the officers involved, searching for any potential bias in their handling of the crash.
Tauro additionally emphasized that her client’s history of driving violations and encounters with the law represented a “decade of youth” with an immature brain.
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