Revoke the drivers license. Ban her from ever obtaining a new one in the state.

Accidents happen. It sounds like she had a lapse of judgement and luckily no one was killed. As a neighbor I am disappointed, but I am forgiving as well. We all make bad decisions. Everyone has driven drunk at least one point in their life. I am not excusing the behavior but we should all have a mutual understanding that we as a caring Portola Valley community should not be so quick to bring out the guillotine.

While it is possible the driver never before drove while under the influence, the odds are against it. It is estimated that in California, drunk drivers are caught one in 200 times. What was her BA (blood-alcohol level) if and when tested? Was she checked for other intoxicants? And how about that Oak Tree? Did anyone bother to take a sap sample to test its BA? Those Oak trees are known to drink and jump in front of unsuspecting drivers.

Some People (@getofftheroad): Wow they were driving DRUNK, oh my god death penalty throw them in jail !!

Meanwhile: Criminals stealing, breaking into cars, robbing people at gunpoint, Oh, lets release them back into society!! Whats that you want harsher penalties for criminals?? Youre RACIST/SEXIST/DISCRIMINATORY against poor/minorities etc.

Makes TOTAL sense!

"Everyone has driven drunk at least one point in their life"

Wow, just wow.

Reading that makes the entitlement even more ugly.

Speak for yourself, criminal!

"But cannabis is so much more of a societal danger than alcohol", said the liar.

""But cannabis is so much more of a societal danger than alcohol", said the liar."

Said no one on this thread.

I think we're all in agreement that alcohol is much more harmful to society that cannabis. It doesn't need to be said. It's horrible to be around people who drink, and I'm always afraid of the drinker's selfish actions leading to the death of innocents.

I've never driven drunk, neither has my sound. My parents never have, either. Trying to turn this into something that everyone does is simply a lie.

Oh, relax everyone. Admit that we all came here to see who it was, and having seen that no name was posted, we should just go on with our lives and not turn this into a debate on every social policy.

95% of people have driven while under the influence at least some point in their lives. So the quote above that all people have done it is not too far off

“I said it, therefore it must be true,” said contributor In Agreement. Fact is we are not all in agreement. I believe cannabis is much more harmful to our society than alcohol.

I see no headlines about the death and injuries caused by cannabis users, but I do see them very regularly documenting the death and injuries caused by alcohol users. Add in the family torment, physical abuse, property damage, sexual abuse, post closing time street fights...the list goes on and it happens every day. Without having to make anything up at all, it's clear which substance causes the greatest harm to both individual and innocent alike. There simply is no comparison. The police reports will show you as well. It's not even close, unless you want to invent and imagine scenarios in your mind that might show otherwise.

Beware the drinkers. They literally might kill you.

To: Lets Be Real

I was run over 39 years ago by a drunk driver with a BAL of 2.0, and left with a permanently partially paralyzed right arm. That was one year before the laws regarding drunk driving with injury to another became much stricter. I have never forgiven the drunk driver who ran over me and destroyed my life. He never expressed any remorse for running me over and leaving me with a permanently partially paralyzed right arm. The DA prosecuting the case asked me if I wanted him sentenced to prison. I said, no, because if he's in prison, then he can't pay me. The judge put him on probation for five years, and ordered him to pay me $500/month for a year, but he didn't have the money, so his girlfriend sent me a check every month! His insurance company only paid me a $36,000 settlement fee; I am told, had I had a better attorney, I would likely have gotten much more. I was off work for two years, and returned to work at a much lesser salary than I had previously earned because my job involved typing, and as a result of my arm injury I was no longer able to type as fast as I could before the drunk driver ran me over, thus for the remaining 30 years of my work career, I had to take jobs offering lower salaries...which affected my retirement pay and 401(k) dividend, as well.

Your neighbor's passenger suffered head injuries. As a result, will his future be adversely affected? Your neighbor should have to pay her passenger's hospital/medical bills, plus be ordered to pay him several thousand dollars for causing him injury and for any lost wages. Plus, she should be put on probation for five years, and have her driver's license suspended for at least 10 years or more.

My advice to her injured passenger: Get yourself a good attorney who will get you a sizable award from the driver's insurance company, that is, if she was insured!!! Make her pay your hospital/medical bills. Make sure she reimburses you for any lost wages and for whatever else her drunk driving has cost you.

Well I’m sure restitution won’t be an issue as people here generally have big bank accounts. I just hope that the injured person makes a full recovery to full health

To: Payment

Big bank account or not, you would be surprised at the stance perpetrators of crimes take when it comes to compensating their victims. They seldom show any remorse, and rarely feel obliged to do the right thing as a result. I witnessed this firsthand when my job was booking felony drunk drivers into jail--drunk drivers who caused injury to someone. Their only worry was how fast they could bail out of jail; not a single one of the hundreds of felony drunk drivers I booked ever expressed any remorse or concern for their victim. It's ironic that one month after leaving my law enforcement job, I was run over by a drunk driver -- who showed no remorse for running over me and leaving me permanently crippled, and who hired an attorney to get him off the hook as quickly and cheaply as possible.

At: "Facts":
"95% of people have driven while under the influence at least some point in their lives. So the quote above that all people have done it is not too far off".

References, Citation(s) please? I challenge that statement.

There is a clear definition by Law on what constitutes DUI.
And yes, it includes some margin of leverage and rightfully so.

That what we have laws for, that unfortunately less and less citizens feel apply to them, when driving in that area with so many Great people.

Interesting info from the CDC: Web Link

And a study it references: Web Link

I still don’t get it. We treat violent thugs who rob, burglarize, and terrorize our neighborhoods like royalty by allowing them out of jail. In fact, you could probably rob someone in CA and there would be absolutely no punishment if caught. Yet we’re getting all worked up over a neighbor in Portola Valley who made a bad choice and happened to crash their car. Wow, what great priorities!

We treat them like royalty? Really? I think that's a big exaggeration.
I think this woman WAS in fact reckless and violent in her behavior.
Thank god she didn't kill someone. To deflect and play the "What about that guy" game does not minimize her crime. It does not minimize how dangerously she acted while disregarding the safety of others on the road.

Even if you think OTHER criminals should be treated more harshly doesn't mean this loser gets a free pass and we should all just say "That's OK, mistakes happen"
Meanwhile, her car is upside down in the road. No worry everyone, nothing to see here, it was just boozy Kate again, ha ha ha, tra-la tra-la.

She doesn't need anything other than punishment under the law and restitution for any property she damaged, and payment for the guys med bills/ + pain and suffering.
Nothing special is needed, just apply to law to her.

I do not believe DUI should go on ones record. It’s not fair when people are committing what used to be felonies like robbery and are instead getting slapped on the wrist by serving almost zero jail time. It’s ridiculous how permissive we are on crime

All the crimes you cited also go on ones record like DUI, as well as years of parole officer check-ins, mandated community service, lockup for parole violation...it's a cycle that goes on for years and years.

Maybe the unfair part is the DUI people don't have to check in with parole officers. They serve their punishment, most always w/ no real jail time but probably weekend roadside trash pickup.

You're suggesting that we (Who?) have become permissive on crime yet you suggest we become permissive on drunks behind the wheel?
Makes no sense.

One recent DUI arrest that has remained under the Radar of the 7 print News media is the September 14, 2019 Arrest of San Mateo County Sheriff Sergeant after him crashed the car he was driving. The car was not his.