An alleged drunken driver who slammed into a mother and her two young daughters in a Santa Ana crosswalk Saturday had her arraignment on murder charges postponed Tuesday afternoon.
A 5-year-old girl, Osmara Meza, died after the crash, which sent the victims 70 feet down the roadway.
The girl's mother, Eloisa, and 6-year-old sister, Gresia, were critically injured with head trauma. The family had been holding hands and crossing with the right-of-way.
Jessicah Louise Cowan, a 33-year-old from Lake Hughes, is charged with one felony count of murder, two counts related to driving under the influence, a count of hit and run causing injury, and an infraction for possessing marijuana while driving, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
She also faces sentencing enhancements for having a blood alcohol level of over .20 percent, or at least 2 1/2 times the legal limit.
Cowan faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison if convicted.
Her arraignment was postponed until July 11 at the request of the defense, District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Farrah Emami said. Cowan's bail was set at $1 million at the hearing at Santa Ana Superior Court.
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Cowan is being held in Orange County Womens's Central Jail, according to the Sheriff's Department's inmate website.
The crash occurred at about 11 a.m. Saturday, when Cowan allegedly ran a red light and collided with the mother and daughters at 17th and Spurgeon streets.
Cowan allegedly continued driving after the collision, but was pinned in by a driver who pursued and stopped her until nearby police could respond. Santa Ana police called the pursuing driver's action "heroic."
Witnesses said Cowan was driving 70 mph. Her 2002 silver Lexus sedan had a smashed windshield and dented front bumper, video taken at the scene of her arrest showed.
A vial of medical marijuana was allegedly found in the vehicle.
The District Attorney's Office said Cowan had allegedly run a red light and crashed into the center median on 17th Street before proceeding down the street, running another red light and and colliding with the mother and two girls.
Six-year-old Gresia is recovering, the District Attorney's Office said in a press release. Osmara, pictured above at left with her sister, died at the scene.
The mother, Eloisa, pictured at right, remains in critical condition.
The office only released the first names of the surviving victims, Emami said.
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