Florida woman facing DUI manslaughter charges for death of pregnant tourist

A Plantation woman surrendered to police Wednesday to face DUI manslaughter charges.

According to police, Rosa Maria Rivera-Kim, 34, was intoxicated when she crashed her Audi into a pool-area cabana at the Riverside Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale on March 18. River-Kim’s vehicle ran into Alanna DeMella, of Medford, Massachusetts, who was seven-months pregnant, killing her.

Once toxicology tests came back and showed that River-Kim’s blood alcohol level was .24, three times the legal limit, Ft. Lauderdale police issues a warrant for her arrest on DUI manslaughter charges.

If Rivera-Kim’s accident had not involved the death of a person, a DUI attorney would have been able to get her some reprieve from the harsh penalties drunk drivers face.

Rivera-Kim told police that she and her husband had an argument at a local restaurant and she sped off in their car. Witnesses reported that her car was traveling well above the 25 mph speed limit. Police are not sure what caused her to lose control and careen across the eastbound lane of E. Las Olas Blvd. and crash into the pool cabana.

DWI or DUI offenders are faced with harsh penalties once they are charged. Their best chance for negating some of ensuing penalties is to hire a DUI lawyer to begin working on their case. With a strong DUI defense, an intoxicated driver may see their charges reduced which will help them avoid a jail term and suspension of their driver’s license.

In some circumstances, breathalyzers and field sobriety tests are not always accurate and can be challenged by a Florida DUI lawyer allowing the offender to minimize the effects of a drunk driving arrest.