Millbrae woman pleads no contest in 2020 drunk driving crash that killed man

MILLBRAE, Calif. - A 66-year-old Millbrae woman has pleaded no contest to felony vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving charges for a 2020 crash that killed a man in Pacifica, San Mateo County prosecutors said Wednesday.   

Suzette Kelly entered the plea Tuesday in exchange for a prison term of up to five years and four months for the crash on state Highway 35, also known as Skyline Boulevard, on March 14, 2020, according to the county District Attorney's Office.   

Kelly was driving a Jeep Wrangler and rear-ended another vehicle on Highway 35, then while fleeing from that collision crossed the double yellow lines and struck two other vehicles. The driver of one of the vehicles, 48-year-old Lawrence Berroya, died from his injuries two weeks after the crash, prosecutors said.

Kelly fled on foot after the crash, running through a sushi restaurant and convenience store and telling people she was running from the Hells Angels. Police eventually arrested her and found an empty flask that smelled of alcohol in her vehicle. A blood-alcohol test taken more than two hours after the collision had a result of 0.12 percent, still above the legal limit of 0.08, prosecutors said.   

Court proceedings were put on hold in 2022 for hearings into Kelly's mental competency to stand trial and she was transported to Napa State Hospital for treatment. This September, a judge found she was restored to competence and the criminal proceedings resumed, leading to the plea Tuesday.   

Berroya, the man killed in the crash, was a teacher at Gateway High School in San Francisco. At the time of his death, he had won a contest among the school's faculty for being its most dedicated fan at its various sporting events.   

Kelly's defense attorney was not immediately available to comment on the case.