Defendant Sobs as Victim's Son Testifies in Lakeside DUI Case

A young woman accused of killing one person and injuring another while driving under the influence sobbed in court as witnesses testified.

Prosecutors say Katie McGrosso, 21, got behind the wheel of a car after drinking several shots of alcohol. She's accused of hitting and killing a woman with her car while driving in Lakeside on Sept. 25.

El Cajon native Lorraine Kennedy, 55, and her husband were visiting from Texas when they decided to go out to eat with relatives.

As they walked across Woodside Avenue, Kennedy was impaled by a vehicle and her husband was thrown into the air, according to prosecutors. 

McGrosso was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers. CHP investigators say McGrosso was driving fast and without her lights on before the collision.

She has since pleaded not guilty to four felony counts against her, including DUI and second degree murder.

At a pretrial hearing Wednesday, the victim's son, Travis Kennedy, testified that he attempted CPR but felt his mother’s pulse stop just moments after the collision.

β€œI saw the person driving the car kinda roll out of the car,” Kennedy said.

Under cross-examination, the defense attorney asked Kennedy if his mother had consumed marijuana on the night of her death. Kennedy said his mother had a prescription card for medicinal marijuana but that she hadn’t ingested any within two to three hours of the incident.

The responding police officer testified that the defendant said she drank one beer and a glass of water at a nearby bar then left to pick up her uncle.

McGrosso told the officer she noticed her gas light was on and exited the freeway to fill up. It was after she stopped for gas that the incident occurred.

During cross-examination, the officer said the defendant's slurred speech could have been caused by a head injury she suffered in the collision. He also testified the only evidence of alcohol use was the smell of alcohol from inside the defendant's car.

McGrosso had a prior DUI from when she was 17, for which she spent six months with Alcoholics Anonymous taking classes, according to prosecutors.

The night of the collision, McGrosso consumed beer, vodka, sake and a fireball, investigators said.

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