Amy Locane, who starred as Sandy on the ‘90s Fox soap Melrose Place for one season, was charged today with second-degree vehicular homicide in an alleged drunk driving accident in Montogomery, New Jersey, on Sunday night that killed one person and seriously injured another, the [Newark] Star-Ledger reports. The paper reports that Locane—who lives in Hopewell, New Jersey and uses her married name of Amy Locane-Bovenizer—crashed her SUV into another car that was pulling out of a driveway. The passenger of that vehicle was killed; the driver was airlifted to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Authorities told the Star-Ledger that Locane-Bovenizer admitted that she had consumed several glasses of wine that evening; they also allege that she was involved in a minor hit-and-run accident in Princeton, N.J., earlier that night, and that witnesses informed police that she drove away erratically from the scene, knocking over mailboxes. Bail has been set at $50,000. The Montgomery Township police department declined to comment to EW.com, referring the call to the prosecutor’s office, which is closed for the night. Locane’s film credits include Cry-Baby, School Ties, and Airheads.
Jun 28
2010
09:20 PM ET
Former 'Melrose Place' star Amy Locane charged with vehicular homicide after fatal accident
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It’s about time that people who drink and drive are charged with muder.
No excuses
As far as I know, the involvement of alcohol automatically upgrades the charge from manslaughter to murder, and it’s been that way as long as I can remember.
ore often than not they are given probation or only required 2-3 years behind bars. Too many times these folks are repeat offenders. That is the real issue that tics me off
Nope. In order for it to be murder it has to be intentional or premeditated. In this case the charge will be vehicular manslaughter vice vehicular homicide.
getting behind the wheel intoxicated screams premeditated murder…you chose to drive drunk…you chose to kill.
Not to belittle this topic or reduce the severity of drunk driving (my brother nearly died in an alcohol-related crash), but 68% of deaths on the road are not alcohol related. The vast majority of all traffic deaths are more related to speeding or driver inattention or error, with nary a drop of alcohol in sight. Perhaps it’s more “you chose to speed, you chose to kill” or “you chose to tailgate, you chose to kill” much more often than “you chose to drive drunk…” Again, not to belittle this, but it’s something everyone should think about when they’re making their way home from work, or going to the store–speed kills, MUCH more often than drunk driving.
Hey, she’s the gal from Cry Baby.
Shame a life was lost.
Didn’t Rebecca Gayheart do something like this or am i confused???
She sure did, and she got off, not sure how.
She wasn’t drunk. Sometimes an accident is just an accident. Brandy hit someone too. I think Gayheart got into some trouble but no jail time
She was on a cell phone and killed a young boy. Sad that she got away with it.
Yeah, although I’m not sure if Rebecca was drunk or not. It happens quite a bit, especially in Hollywood (or in this case New Jersey). The fact is, celebrity or not, this kind of crime should not go unpunished. The fact that she’d already gotten in an accident earlier in the night just proves how reckless she was. I feel for the family who lost heir loved one. It was a sensless crime, that can luckily be brought to justce.
Rebecca wasn’t drunk, but she was on her cellphone–and she killed a child who was crossing the street.
What a waste of a fine piece.
Wow. Sometimes I’m still amazed by the callousness of people.
Rebecca Gayheart ran a red light. Thank you, memory and Wikipedia.
Oh my lord…this is hugely shocking. You don’t use your married name when it’s Bovenizer. No wonder she’s never worked again.
The sad thing here is she hasn’t contributed enough to pop culture to make anyone feel sorry for her.
Though she was good as Jessica Lange’s daughter in Blue Sky. Forget those other flicks including Cry-Baby.
Unfortunately your statement is dead on. Many times people get off on their celebrity or get a pass in general because of it.
i’m nt saying she shouldn’t be punished for driving drunk…but my question is if the person was pulling out of a driveway…shouldn’t they be looking for cars. i just wonder what part alcohol played in the accident that took the life (obv the previous one hitting mailboxes and leaving the scene she caused).
I thought the same thing. If you are pulling into traffic you do not have the right of way. Not saying that drunk driving shouldn’t be punished, however, the traffic laws are there for a reason.
They weren’t pulling out of their driveway, they were pulling into their driveway and had their blinker on. She was so drunk she slammed directly into them.
Sort of. Often, you can’t see until you clear an object, shrub, another car, etc. And if she were speeding then all bets are off. Although the article doesn’t say she was speeding but given that one person was killed and another seriously injured, it would appear that’s the case. My sympathies to the family.
Try to pay attention. She was being chased by the owner of the car that she hit first. She then rammed into a car pulling into a driveway. Not only did she kill the passenger, but the driver is in critical condition. But you’re right. It’s not her fault.
The road where the accident happened is full of curves and there are hills. Anyone who is from the area,she grew up there, knows it is important to drive the speed limit. It is entirely possible the driver checked, was all clear and she came speeding over a hill or around a curb.
If you don’t drive drunk, how are you supposed to get home? And don’t say call a cab, not every town has cabs. Just because a drunk gets into an accident, everyone automatically assumes it’s because they were drunk. Judge much?
I’m going to go ahead and assume this is a joke and a bad one at that.
From your comments, it appears you do this. Try drinking in your own home and stay off the streets.
I”m guessing you have the option to not drink if there aren’t cabs in the area. But it sounds like you are one of those people that can place blame on others and never take responsibility, or you are a lawyer.
…I’m assuming this is complete sarcasm, correct? Please tell me I’m correct.
I certainly hope so because that is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.
I’m very serious. I fail to see how being drunk is automatically relevant in all traffic accidents involving a drunk driver. People have just been conditioned to think it’s bad and to blame. Mostly, drunk drivers are just folks trying to get home, obeying the speed limit and watching the road like a hawk. In many ways, more focused than a sober driver. In other words, the average drunk driver is actually less impaired than someone on their cell phone or disciplining a backseat full of children while driving. I know it’s not popular to say, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
From the way you’re talking, I think you need an ignition interlock in your car.
Stop being a sheep and think for yourself.
What are you basing your theories on – a study from the American Beverage Institute? Both distracted driving and drunk driving kill. Both should be stopped and some states have passed laws to deter distracted drivers. The difference in all of this is that once you decide to stop being distracted, you can instantly do that and be a safer driver. You can’t just decide not to be drunk anymore and make the roads safer.
There are many things that can cause an accident. I just think alcohol has become an easy go-to scapegoat.
Just about a third (32%) of traffic deaths are alcohol-related. That’s NHTSA data, not sponsored by MADD or any biased sources. It’s pulled from all the national police reports on traffic fatalities. It’s indisputable. While the majority of deaths are speed or driver inattention related, alcohol isn’t exactly innocent. Also? 65% of traffic deaths between midnight and 3 a.m. are caused by alcohol. All those folks “just trying to make their way home” and “watching the road like a hawk” are most likely swerving, speeding, going too slowly, drifting, running stoplights and stop signs, running up on sidewalks, tailgating, etc., etc., you get my point, I hope. It is an absolute, indisputable FACT that alcohol impairs judgment. Judgment = perception as well. So the perception of someone who’s drunk driving that he or she is “just trying to make their way home” and “watching the road like a hawk” is a messed-up perception. And finally, if this makes me a sheep, then baaa baaa!
I keep waiting for someone to drag out that old sob story “my [insert relative] was hit/killed by a drunk driver.” My dad was killed by a sober driver (true story) yet I don’t hate all sober drivers.
Are you an idiot in real life, or only while posting on message boards?
I fail to see what is idiotic about my comments. Outside the mainstream, perhaps, but if you really look at the issue, I believe I’m right. Booze doesn’t cause accidents. People who can’t handle their booze do.
Nope. Still an idiot.
I agree, idiot. However, I can tell you there are cabs easily called in her area and from what I understand she was visably drunk. slirring words and stumbling.
Idiot must be the only word over two syllables that you know.
Wow, she is in a crapload of trouble. I’m thinking she may not get off easy because people in general are sick and tired of celebrity-types getting off easy just because they are celebrity-types. The hammer might fall harder on her than it would have ten years ago. I feel bad for all of the innocent people affected by this incredibly poor decision made by the royally screwed, er, accused.
Alcoholics are usually in denial.
Amy was awful in MP, and was quickly fired and forgotten. She didnt do this in Hollywood, as some assume, it was in NJ. She will pay.