Woman charged in crash that killed bicyclist on San Joaquin Hills Road

Prosecutors on Friday charged a Newport Coast woman with hitting and killing a bicyclist while allegedly driving drunk and texting last month.

Danae Miller, 22, was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated for the Feb. 21 crash that killed Amine Britel, a Morocco native who owned a travel agency in Newport Beach.

Police said Miller drank at her work before heading home about 6 p.m. Just a few streets away from her home, police said she hit Britel as he rode his bike eastbound on San Joaquin Hills Road.

Prosecutors claim not only was she drunk, but she was also text messaging when she drifted into the bike lane and hit Britel from behind.

He died at the scene. Miller had a blood alcohol level of .10 nearly two hours after the crash, over the legal limit of .08.

If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison. Miller is scheduled to be arraigned April 4 and is out on $100,000 bail.

Joseph Serna