Woman who drove off Pescadero cliff, killing passenger, takes plea deal

"An Arcata woman pleaded no contest Friday to felony vehicular manslaughter in exchange for a maximum sentence of two years in prison for driving over a San Mateo County cliff while under the influence of alcohol, resulting in the death of a passenger in her vehicle, prosecutors said. Madeline St. Pierre, 26, also admitted to two allegations of serious felonies, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office."

"At about 10 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2023, St. Pierre was driving a 2021 Kia on Pescadero Creek Road toward Highway 1 at an unsafe speed, prosecutors said. St. Pierre drove through a stop sign and into the parking lot of a state beach, where she then crashed into the metal guardrail and went over the edge of a cliff. St. Pierre's car landed in the water at the bottom of the 40-foot cliff, prosecutors said."

"Nicolas Vargas, a 29-year-old resident of Watsonville, had been riding in the back seat. St. Pierre and a female passenger who had been sitting in the front seat attempted to pull Vargas out of the water, prosecutors said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. St. Pierre had a fractured tailbone and the female passenger suffered a fractured wrist in the crash, prosecutors added."

Madeline St. Pierre, 26, pleaded no contest to felony vehicular manslaughter in exchange for a maximum two-year prison sentence and admitted to two serious-felony allegations. She had originally faced charges including vehicular manslaughter, DUI resulting in injury, and driving with a BAC over 0.08% resulting in injury, each with enhancements for causing great bodily injury. On Oct. 12, 2023, she drove a 2021 Kia at unsafe speed, ran a stop sign, hit a guardrail and plunged over a 40-foot cliff into water. Back-seat passenger Nicolas Vargas, 29, was pronounced dead; St. Pierre sustained a fractured tailbone and a front-seat passenger fractured a wrist. Responding officers noted signs of intoxication and alcohol odor, and St. Pierre’s BAC measured .029 percent about three hours and 15 minutes after the crash.

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