MIAMI (WSVN) - A woman accused of driving under the influence at the time of a fatal crash on the Rickenbacker Causeway appeared in court.
Twenty-three-year-old Jessica Fuentes stood before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer as she listened to her charges in connection to Saturday night’s crash.
“DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide,” said Glazer.
The suspect’s mother and 1-year-old daughter were also present at the hearing.
Fuentes’ mother tearfully pleaded with Glazer for mercy.
“My daughter has been extremely depressed, but again, very responsible,” she said. “She would never drink and drive.”
But Miami Police said Fuentes slammed into the back of a car on the causeway just after leaving Whiskey Joe’s, the bar she worked at, Saturday night.
Investigators said the impact was so powerful that it caused the other car to fly from the westbound lanes into the eastbound lanes. The vehicle hit a fence, leaving a woman in the passenger seat impaled by a fence post.
Police later identified the woman as Paula Curra, who was a mother of two.
She was transported to an area hospital where she died from her injuries on Sunday.
In court Monday, Fuentes’ mother said her daughter has never had any problems with the law.
“This was a freak accident, and no matter what it is … don’t hurt our baby,” her mother told the judge while holding back tears. “Again, she has never been in trouble, and the other person, unfortunately, was not wearing their seat belt and is why she succumbed to her injuries.”
“Very tragic accident,” said Glazer.
But Assistant Miami-Dade State Attorney Laura Adams shot back at the mother’s remarks.
“From the state’s perspective, judge, it’s not an accident when somebody has twice the legal limit of alcohol in their system and causes another person’s death,” the prosecutor responded. “That’s a lot more than an accident.”
Adams also clarified Curra was wearing her seat belt.
“She was, and trying to cast any blame on her is just not appropriate,” she said.
Fuentes registered twice the legal limit of alcohol in her system after she took a Breathalyzer test about three hours after the crash, prosecutors said.
Two days after the crash, the fence has been repaired, but marks in the roadway and median are still visible.
The presence of Fuentes’ young daughter was part of the plea for mercy from her mother.
“Jessica would just suffer even more not being with her baby,” said Fuentes’ mother.
“The victim’s husband is suffering, as is the rest of their families,” said Adams.
Fuentes’ bond was set at $75,000.
If she bonds out, she’ll be placed on house arrest and will not be allowed to drive or drink alcohol.
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