Police: Porterville woman charged with homicide after DUI crash kills elderly woman

A Porterville woman is charged with homicide and vehicular manslaughter after she allegedly killed an elderly woman while driving under the influence, police said.

Rebecca Inman, 27, and a passenger were driving west on Gibbons Avenue in a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica the night of Jan. 10 when the crash happened, according to a news release from Porterville police.

Inman allegedly ran a stop sign at Main Street and hit a Mercedes-Benz sedan traveling north. The two women inside the Mercedes were pinned and had to be extricated.

The 47-year-old driver of the Mercedes was hospitalized with minor injuries and later released. Her passenger, a 69-year-old woman, had major injuries, police said. She died on Tuesday at a Bay Area hospital, police said. She has been identified as Maria Herrera of Porterville.

Inman was taken to Community Regional Medical Center at the time of the crash with major injuries while her 35-year-old passenger suffered moderate injuries, police said.

Inman was released from the hospital on Wednesday and booked into the Tulare County Jail. On Friday, the Tulare County District Attorney charged her with homicide, gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI of alcohol causing injury.

Police say her blood alcohol content was 0.19%. She is being held without bail.

This story was originally published January 18, 2020 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Police: Porterville woman charged with homicide after DUI crash kills elderly woman."