Woman, 92, Charged With Manslaughter in 2014 La Jolla Collision

A 92-year-old woman faces a vehicular manslaughter for backing her vehicle onto a busy La Jolla street and hitting and killing a woman unloading her car last October.

Mary Catherine O'Neil, who now lives in a retirement home in eastern United States, will be arraigned on the charge later this month.

The victim in the case, Melissa Bonney Ratcliff -- who was the vice president of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce -- was running errands and had been unloading her car on Girard Avenue. The collision happened just before noon on Oct. 7, 2014.

That's when O'Neil backed out of a nearby parking spot on the west side of the street, crossed into the other side and rammed into Ratcliff, police have said.

She was then pinned between the moving vehicle and the back of her parked car.

O'Neil told police after the collision that she had not been using her rear-view mirror, city prosecutors said. She also faces a code violation alleging unlawful backing.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said prosecutors aren't seeking jail time for O'Neil, but are requesting she surrender her driver's license, never drive again and pay restitution to the victim's family.

"Every older driver must make informed decisions about the increased risks of driving as their abilities decline," Goldsmith said in a statement. "Their friends and families have a moral responsibility to ask questions and to speak up when they recognize safety concerns."

Ratcliff, 45, served as vice president of marketing and events for the chamber of commerce.

She was described as a “nationally recognized leader in marketing and strategic communications” and previously worked as a press secretary for the Democratic National Committee. She also served in the White House in the 1990s as then-Vice President Al Gore’s deputy director of communications, according to the chamber.

The chamber issued a statement in October, saying members were "grief stricken over the tragic loss."

"She was a well-respected and valued member of the chamber team and will be missed by all of us," the statement said. "We're deeply saddened by her loss and send our thoughts and prayers to her family and friends."

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