Woman Heads To Court After Allegedly Injuring Motorcycle Officer

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A City of Orange woman who allegedly struck and seriously injured an Indio Police Department motorcycle officer while under the influence of a mood-altering drug was slated to appear in court on DUI charges Thursday.

Margaret Kendric, 55, was accused in the Oct. 9, 2016, crash that left Officer Jeffery Merritt hospitalized with major injuries. California Highway Patrol investigators said that at around 3:30 p.m., Kendric struck the officer's motorcycle with her Nissan Murano at the intersection of Jackson Street and Odium Drive. Merritt was thrown from the bike, causing injuries that have him left him in a wheelchair since then, according to authorities.

An arrest warrant declaration alleges that Kendric "displayed objective signs and symptom(s) of drug impairment" and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. A blood draw taken from Kendric showed "the presence of amphetamines," the declaration says.

Kendric, who faces a felony count of driving under the influence of drugs causing injury and a sentence-enhancing allegation of inflicting great bodily injury, was arrested at 5:40 p.m. last Thursday by Los Angeles Airport Police.

She was released from Los Angeles County custody Tuesday morning and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, with bail set at $90,000, according to county jail records.

She's expected to appear in an Indio courtroom Thursday afternoon to say how she wishes to plead.

Shutterstock Photo