RivCo Woman Accused Of Killing Child In DUI Crash Released From Custody

RIVERSIDE, CA — A San Jacinto woman accused of killing a 7-year-old girl and injuring members of her family while driving under the influence at a Perris intersection was released from custody Wednesday on a $250,000 bond.

Silvia Corona, 52, was arrested Monday following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation into the crash that occurred Saturday.

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Corona is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and four counts of DUI resulting in great bodily injury.

The defendant was booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning after she was cleared to leave Riverside University Medical Center Monday. She was initially held in lieu of $110,000 bail, but after sheriff's detectives requested and received a judge's order for a higher amount, she was held on $250,000.

Jail records indicated Corona posted bond sometime during the predawn hours Wednesday and was let go.

She is scheduled for arraignment Oct. 1 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to a sheriff's bail-setting affidavit, at 5:35 p.m. Saturday, the defendant was driving her 2017 Lexus RX350 southbound on the Ramona Expressway "at an unsafe speed" that left virtually no possibility for her to stop when the traffic light at the Expressway and Rider Street turned red.

"Corona proceeded into the intersection on a red signal and broadsided a 2018 Lexus that was making a lawful left turn from Rider," the declaration said. "Corona had made no attempt to stop prior to the collision and had been traveling at such a high rate of speed, it took her vehicle 326 feet to stop after the collision while driving uphill and out of control."

The sedan allegedly hit by the defendant's vehicle was occupied by a family of five.

The 7-year-old girl in the rear, identified in court documents only as "C.L.," was taken with her siblings and parents to Riverside University Medical Center, where she died that evening.

Her 12-year-old brother, whose name was not released, suffered significant injuries that prompted his transfer from the Moreno Valley hospital to Loma Linda Children's Hospital for acute care. He remained in critical condition Wednesday.

The other child, also not identified, suffered moderate injuries and is recovering. The parents, whose names were also not released, suffered minor injuries and were not hospitalized.

"Corona was uncooperative at the scene and initially stated that she had not been drinking alcoholic beverages," the affidavit said. "She had objective symptoms of intoxication, and there were cans of Truly, an alcoholic beverage, on the ground, just outside her vehicle."

She and her passenger, an unidentified man, were treated for unspecified minor to moderate injuries.

"An intake blood sample ... showed Corona had 0.28% blood-alcohol concentration," according to the sheriff's statement. The legal limit to drive is 0.08 percent.

She has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.