Woman Sentenced to 30 Years for Drunken Crash that Killed Couple

Photo courtesy of the San Mateo Sheriff’ Department

By Bay City News Service

A woman with a prior DUI conviction who struck and killed a Menlo Park couple walking their dog in 2013 was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison Wednesday, prosecutors said.

A jury in May found Marjorie Reitzell, 55, guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving charges. Judge Robert Foiles handed down the stiff prison sentence
Wednesday morning, San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti said.

Reitzell, a Redwood City resident, had been drinking heavily on Oct. 24, 2013, when at about 7 p.m. she veered off Chilco Street in Menlo Park and hit Kamal Singh, 45, and Balbir Singh, 50, from behind, prosecutors said.

The married couple, who had three teenage children, had been out walking their dog that evening. They were both pronounced dead at the scene and the dog was injured.

After the collision, Reitzell swerved across the center divider and hit another car, causing minor injuries to the four teenagers inside. She tried to drive away again and slammed into a tree.

Reitzell was taken to a hospital after the crash and testing revealed she had a blood-alcohol level of .23 percent, nearly three times the legal limit, according to prosecutors.

She was already on probation for drunk driving after a 2012 arrest in Menlo Park.