DUI Crash Victim’s Family Sues Driver, Toyota, County
The family of retired Santa Ynez teacher Linda Wall — who was killed last December in a DUI crash — filed a wrongful-death and product-liability lawsuit earlier this month against Toyota, a towing company, the county, driver Rebecca Sandoval, and Sandoval’s sister. Represented by Santa Barbara attorney Barry Cappello, Wall’s husband and three children contend, among several claims, that the seat-back in 68-year-old Wall’s 2004 Toyota Highlander was defective.
At about 2 p.m. on December 19, 2013, Sandoval, then 37, was allegedly high on nitrous oxide when she slammed her 2010 Jeep Wrangler into Wall’s Highlander, which had been slowing for a red light on Highway 246 near Cuesta Road. Wall’s Toyota hit another stopped car, which carried passengers Simone Mikusova and Michal Miklas — both visiting from the Slovak Republic — who sustained minor injuries.
In her criminal case, Sandoval pleaded not guilty earlier this month to all four charges against her — second-degree murder, gross vehicle manslaughter, and DUI causing injury for another driver on the road. She is also charged with driving under the influence of a drug, stemming from a prior incident in July 2013. Prosecuting attorney Paul Greco is handing the case, which will return to court for a review and settlement conference on January 14 in Santa Maria. Public defender Patty Dark is representing Sandoval, who remains in custody and faces 15 years to life in prison.
