Reseda : Woman in Fatal Crash Was on Drugs
A 29-year-old Canoga Park woman was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she plowed into a Los Angeles police patrol car, killing a rookie officer and herself, the coroner’s office confirmed Monday.
Toxicology results showed that the woman, Tammy Danford, tested positive for methamphetamines and had a blood alcohol level of 0.11, which exceeded the legal limit of .08, said Scott Carrier, a spokesman for the county Coroner’s office.
Danford died in a fiery crash on Nov. 4 when she broadsided a patrol car in a foggy Reseda intersection, killing Officer Gabriel Perez-Negron and injuring his partner, Officer Martin Guerrero.
LAPD Detective Mark Talkington said Danford had a packet of methamphetamines and caffeine in her purse at the time of the crash. He said it remains unclear how she obtained the drugs.
Danford tested positive for 1.46 micrograms per milliliter of methamphetamines, which is considered a “significant amount,” Carrier said.
“It would put anyone under the influence,” Talkington said. Family members told police that Danford has been experiencing a number of “personal problems” in the months prior to the crash.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
