Driver in Deadly SoCal Wrong-Way Crash Had Previous DUI

Published Feb 11, 2014 at 7:32 PM

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Olivia Carolee Culbreath was arrested Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, after she allegedly drove the wrong way on the Pomona (60) Freeway in Diamond Bar and collided head-on with another vehicle. The crash killed six, including Culbreath's older sister.

A woman accused of driving under the influence and killing six people, including her sister, in a wrong-way crash on a Southern California freeway was convicted of drunken driving when she was 17 years old, according to California Department of Vehicles records.

Olivia Carolee Culbreath, 21, is accused of driving a red Chevrolet Camaro (pictured below) head-on into a Ford Explorer at more than 100 mph the morning of Feb. 9, investigators said. She was heading east on the westbound side of the Pomona (60) Freeway in Diamond Bar.

In 2009, when Culbreath was 16 years old, she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the California DMV. She was convicted in the case in April 2010 and her license was revoked.

Three months before her DUI conviction, Culbreath’s license was suspended because she had an excessive blood alcohol level. Under California vehicle code section 13353.2, that means any driver under 21 with a blood-alcohol concentration of .01 percent or greater.

Because she had accumulated so many points on her license, Culbreath’s driving privileges were suspended on Aug. 4, 2010. That probation ended on Aug. 4, 2011, but because Culbreath failed to file proof of insurance in time, her license was ultimately reinstated on Dec. 20, 2011.

The most recent incident on her record is from November 2013, when Culbreath was ticketed for allegedly talking on a cellphone while driving. According to DMV records, that ticket is outstanding for failure to appear.

The 21-year-old’s license status is now valid and she has proof of insurance, records show. Aside from last week’s deadly crash, there are no other collisions listed in Culbreath’s driving record.

Culbreath is listed in serious condition with a fractured femur and ruptured bladder. She has been arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving and felony manslaughter following the Sunday crash.

Six people were killed in the crash. The victims were identified Monday as Kristin Young, 21, of Chino; Maya Culbreath 24, of Rialto, who is the driver's sister; Gregorio Mejia-Martinez, 47; Leticia Ibarra, 42; Jessica Mejia, 20; and Esther Delgado, all from Huntington Park, according to the Coroner’s office Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.

After the initial impact a Ford Freestyle hit the Explorer. The driver of the Freestyle, Joel Cortez, survived the crash and was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center after complaining of pain.

Victim Maya Culbreath was the driver's sister. A woman who identified herself as the Culbreaths’ grandmother spoke with NBC4 briefly on Monday.

"We're grieving for all the families, all of them, not just ours," Carol Phillips said outside the driver's Fontana home. "So it's very hard to take."