Man to Be Arraigned in Collision That Killed 4
A 27-year-old parolee is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on felony manslaughter and other charges, stemming from a head-on collision July 13 in Lancaster that killed four people.
Shawn Eugene Beavers of Rosamond faces four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts of driving under the influence of drugs with allegations of great bodily injury. The case was filed Thursday in Antelope Superior Court in Lancaster.
Beavers was driving a Jeep Cherokee northbound on Sierra Highway near Avenue O-8, allegedly at speeds of between 90 and 100 mph. Police said he rear-ended a pickup, crossed the divider and slammed head-on into a Lexus sport utility vehicle driven by Dr. John Fisher and carrying four of Fisher’s co-workers at the High Desert Hemodialysis Center.
Killed were Fisher’s passengers Georgina Schmidt, 43, of Lancaster; Mark Rittenberg, 52, and his wife Mary Rittenberg, 41, both of Palmdale; and Beavers’ passenger, Therese Frisch, 38, of Lancaster. Fisher and his fourth passenger were injured.
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