In a DUI crash that killed a cyclist on Highway 1, a woman was found guilty of second-degree murder
A 2022 DUI incident on Highway 1 resulted in the conviction of a San Mateo County woman on second-degree murder and other crimes. The lady had a history of drunk driving convictions.
The office of District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe declared on Thursday that Samantha Mei Hartwell, 33, of Half Moon Bay, had been found guilty on all counts by a jury. Hartwell was found guilty of gross vehicular manslaughter and criminal DUI inflicting great bodily injury in addition to being found guilty of murder.
The jury deliberated for one day before returning a verdict, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office.
On July 14, 2022, in the afternoon, Hartewell was operating her Nissan while inebriated on Highway 1. When Hartwell got to Stage Road, which is close to San Gregorio, she veered and hit Thomas Hampe, 60, which caused him to fall over an embankment. The driver and front passenger of the Subaru were gravely hurt when Hartwell abruptly turned into oncoming traffic and hit them head-on.
Following the crash, all three of them were taken to Stanford Hospital, where the passenger required many surgeries to get back on her feet, according to the DA’s office. After the crash, Hartwell’s blood alcohol content was.18, which is more than twice the permitted limit.
Prosecutors claimed that after Hampe’s wife reported him missing, his body was discovered in the embankment and that no one had reported the drunk driver hitting him.
Hartwell has many convictions for driving with a suspended license and at least two convictions for driving while intoxicated dating back to 2014.
Hartwell is still being held at the San Mateo County Jail without being granted bail, according to the DA’s office. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 16, per court documents.
