Drunken driver who struck, seriously injured Palm Springs woman sentenced
City News Service
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 62-year-old man who struck and seriously injured a woman walking through a Palm Springs intersection because he was driving under the influence was sentenced today to three years’ felony probation.
Mark Gerald Blanchette of Palm Springs pleaded guilty on June 4 to DUI resulting in great bodily injury and felony DUI under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
During a hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Susanne Cho imposed the stipulated sentence, which included a jail term of four years, nine months. However, the judge ordered that sentence suspended, while directing Blanchette to enroll in a first-time DUI offender awareness program, according to court minutes.
According to the Palm Springs Police Department, on the night of Feb. 1, 2023, the defendant was driving through the intersection of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Sunrise Way when he failed to see the victim in a crosswalk.
Blanchette struck her, inflicting life-threatening injuries, but he did not attempt to flee, police said.
Patrol officers and paramedics reached the location minutes later and found the woman, identified only as 57-year-old “Lorna L.,” unconscious. She was taken to a Coachella Valley hospital, where she underwent treatment and ultimately recovered.
Officers quickly assessed Blanchette, who wasn’t hurt, and determined that he was intoxicated. He was taken into custody without incident.
The defendant had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside.