A teen driver accused of killing 4 of her pals whereas rushing to a slumber celebration advised one of many ladies’ dad and mom on the scene “my mother’s going to kill me,” a courtroom has heard.
Elsa Laremont Stranczek, 17, had been attempting to get out of costs by happening a psychological well being diversion program — a California regulation that enables eligible defendants to keep away from conventional prosecution.
However Marin County Superior Court docket Decide James T. Chou denied the request Monday, leaving her to face prosecution for misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in juvenile courtroom, the SFChronicle reviews.
Earlier than studying her destiny, the teenager confronted the grief left by the April 2025 automobile crash as family members of the 4 ladies killed confronted her in a packed courtroom.
Christie Batanides, whose 15-year-old daughter Josalyn “Josy” Osborn died, recalled arriving on the crash scene and standing ft from the burning automobile, realizing her baby was trapped inside.
“I can’t adequately describe the horror of standing there, realizing my baby was inside,” Batanides mentioned, including Stranczek’s first phrases have been: “My mother’s going to kill me… I wrecked the automobile.”
“You had no concern in your pals,” Batanides advised her.
Stranczek, who suffered extreme burns within the crash and reportedly doesn’t keep in mind the accident, stood and spoke to the courtroom for the primary time.
She acknowledged her position behind the wheel and mentioned she had mourned her 4 pals every single day since their deaths.
“Whatever the final result, I’ll spend the remainder of my life attempting to honor my pals and their reminiscence,” she mentioned.
The lethal journey started when the group piled into the teenager’s automobile in downtown Fairfax and set off towards Woodacre for a Friday night time sleepover.
Simply minutes earlier than they arrived, the motive force misplaced management on a curve on San Geronimo Valley Highway and slammed right into a redwood tree, inflicting the automobile to burst into flames.
Ada Kepley, Olive Koren, Sienna Katz and Josalyn have been killed. Marley Barclay was the one passenger to outlive the crash.
California Freeway Patrol investigators blamed pace for the crash, estimating the automobile was touring roughly 60 to 65 mph on the 40 mph highway.
Investigators couldn’t retrieve info from the automobile’s black field as a result of it was destroyed within the hearth.
They as an alternative relied partly on the speedometer, which had melted right into a place indicating a pace of round 60 mph.
That conclusion has divided the victims’ households and raised questions on what occurred within the moments earlier than influence.
Stranczek has maintained she noticed headlights from what she believed was an oncoming automobile shortly earlier than the wreck, although CHP was unable to substantiate these claims.
Protection legal professional Charles Dresow insisted she had demonstrated regret and pointed to the probation division’s advice that she obtain diversion.
She cooperated with probation, stored a 3.73 GPA, and labored as a paid intern for the Youth Remodeling Justice Institute in San Rafael.
Chou finally sided towards diversion after weighing the teenager’s circumstances towards the necessity for accountability.
“This has been one of many saddest and most tough instances that I’ve encountered in my 37 years of training regulation,” Chou mentioned. “It’s a tragedy past tragedies.”
His resolution did little to bridge the divide between households over how the case ought to finish. “Nothing will convey my lady again, however not less than there will likely be some accountability,” mentioned Sienna’s mom, Peg Minicozzi.
Olive’s grandfather, Bruce Koren, got here away with the other response, arguing that questions concerning the investigation had nonetheless not been resolved.
“At the moment was not only a loss for [the driver],” he advised the outlet. “It was a loss for the reality.”
The teenager is due again in courtroom later this month.
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