Opening statements began Wednesday in the trial against a man who is accused of driving drunk and causing a pregnant woman to crash head-on and die on Mother’s Day in 2017.
Andrew Milonis faced 10 total counts that included murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, and felony DUI.
On May 14, 2017, Jessica Foderingham was driving a Dodge Dart along San Vicente Road in Ramona at around 6:45 p.m. when her car was struck from behind by a 2011 GMC Yukon. The collision forced her to slam head-on into a tree.
Jessica Foderingham, 32, died from her injuries. She was eight months pregnant at the time and was married nine months earlier. Her unborn child did not survive.
Jessica Foderingham’s husband, Christian Foderingham, was driving ahead of her with their two sons when she crashed. He saw the crash in his rear-view mirror.
“It felt like my heart stopped,” he said. “My heart, my world, my best friend, was taken from me.”
The Foderinghams were on their way to their grandmother’s house.
Milonis, who was 44 at the time, was reportedly behind the wheel of the Yukon, according to the California Highway Patrol.
On Wednesday, prosecutors said Milonis then fled the scene and eventually took Lyft, a ride-sharing service, to another bar. Additionally, they said Milonis was driving on a suspended license from a prior DUI.
The Lyft driver, Kyle Gammon, said Milonis looked visibly distraught when he picked him up.
“I could tell that he knew that he messed up, he did something really bad, just from his demeanor,” Gammon said.
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They drove right by the scene of the crash, he said.
“When we passed the accident scene, I was, like, ‘Did you crash here, man?’ and he said, ‘No, don’t worry about that,’“ Gammon said.
Gammon drove Milonis to the Turkey Inn Bar on Main Street in Ramona, where officers arrested him.
In court, Milonis could be seen in a wheelchair with his head wrapped, shaking his head in disagreement as prosecutors spoke.
The defense claimed Milonis was nowhere near the scene when the crash occurred, citing a mistake by CHP.
Milonis has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
