A San Mateo County woman was convicted by a jury Wednesday of second degree murder and felony drunk driving resulting in death for a 2022 crash on Highway 1, authorities said.
Samantha Mei Hartwell, a 33-year-old resident of Half Moon Bay, killed a bicyclist and injured a driver and passenger of another car while driving under the influence, according to media notes from San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe.
In addition to charges of second degree murder and felony drunk driving, Hartwell was also convicted of a felony driving under the influence resulting in injury to another with enhancements for causing great bodily injury and injuring multiple victims, according to Wagstaffe’s notes.
Following a full day of jury deliberations, the jury came to a verdict around 5 p.m. on the 14th day of the trial, according to Wagstaffe’s notes. The verdict was read in court Thursday morning.
Hartwell’s blood alcohol content was more than double the legal limit at the time of the incident, according to Wagstaffe’s notes. She had two previous DUI convictions from 2014 as well as multiple convictions for driving on a suspended license.
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Around 4:20 p.m. on July 14, 2022, Hartwell was driving in her Nissan northbound on Highway 1 south of Stage Road when she swerved her car and hit 60-year-old bicyclist Thomas Hampe. Hartwell knocked Hampe down an embankment, killing him almost instantly, authorities said.
Hartwell then swerved her car into oncoming traffic and struck a Subaru head-on, injuring the driver and front seat passenger. Hartwell and the two people from the Subaru were airlifted to a hospital, authorities said, where the driver of the Subaru had multiple surgeries for injuries to her feet.
Authorities did not immediately realize that Hempe had been involved in the crash, and witnesses did not see him struck by Hartwell’s car. He was found after his wife called 911 to report him as missing between six and eight hours after the incident, the DA’s office said.
Judge Jeffrey B. Jackson continued Hartwell’s case to August 16 for sentencing and pre-sentence report. Hartwell will remain in custody with no bail.
