San Diego
San Diego police said Thursday they have reopened an investigation into a Jan. 6 hit-and-run accident after the death Tuesday of a La Mesa woman who had been in intensive care for four months.
Dianne Nelson Mulligan, 39, who was in a coma until several weeks ago, died at Mercy Hospital of pneumonia and complications from extensive head and leg injuries, Deputy County Coroner George Dickason said.
Wayne LaFantasie, 22, of San Diego, was sentenced April 17 to 120 days of work furlough, ordered to pay $200 monthly to the victim’s parents, and had his driver’s license suspended for one year.
LaFantasie had pleaded guilty to felony hit and run. Deputy Dist. Atty. Ed Checkert said Thursday the case is being reviewed now for a possible vehicular manslaughter charge.
“We’ve reopened it. We’re reassigning it as a fatal accident,” said San Diego Police Detective John Warren. “We’ll await the coroner’s report on the cause of death.”
LaFantasie’s attorney, Robert Boyce, said that filing another charge against his client, who has already been sentenced, would amount to double jeopardy.
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