Court Upholds Murder Conviction In Drugged Driving Case
PORT HURON (WWJ/AP) - The Michigan appeals court has upheld a second-degree murder conviction in a case that inspired new laws about drugged driving.
Back in 2013, Lisa Bergman was driving a Ford F-350 pickup truck in St. Clair County when she crossed the center line and crashed into a smaller pickup, killing 19-year-old Russell Ward and 20-year-old Koby Raymo.
St. Clair County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Singleton said in his testimony that Bergman "was one of the most impaired people I have ever seen operating a vehicle," the Times Herald of Port Huron reported.
Bergman's blood-alcohol level was below the legal limit, but she had also used prescription drugs Oxycontin and Soma. A doctor said the combination affected Bergman's ability to drive.
The appeals court said there was nothing improper about allowing jurors to hear evidence of prior incidents in which Bergman drove erratically while under the influence of prescription drugs.
Gov. Rick Snyder last year signed laws that put restrictions on people who drive while drugged.
Bergman, now 32, will be eligible for parole in 2038.
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