Marysville woman enters no-contest plea for hit-and-run of bicyclist last fall
A woman who admitted to running over a bicyclist on Simpson Lane last fall pleaded no contest Thursday.
Heather Marie Phillips was charged with driving under the influence causing injury, with an enhancement for causing great bodily injury.
Phillips was first arrested by the California Highway Patrol in November 2017 and charged with felony hit-and-run, DUI with injury and priors, and misdemeanor charges for driving on a suspended license, falsely reporting a crime and destroying evidence.
On Nov. 9, 2017, Tyler Rose, 19, was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on the shoulder of Simpson Lane. He was struck from behind, and suffered brain damage, torn ligaments and a broken nose.
Phillips allegedly abandoned her vehicle a short distance from where the collision occurred before fleeing the area on foot. She initially denied all involvement – even calling law enforcement a few hours later and reporting her car had been stolen. She signed the stolen vehicle report and provided officers with a fabricated story about how her car went missing, according to court documents.
After being confronted with witness statements and evidence discrediting her account of what had happened, Phillips admitted to the hit-and-run, saying she was traveling 50 miles per hour when she struck Rose, according to court documents.
Phillips did not appear for her court case last week, in which a conclusion was expected to be reached. According to her attorney, public defender Robert Romero, her failure to appear was an accident: Phillips’ court summons had water on it, blocking the appearance date. She learned of the appearance through an Appeal-democrat article, Romero said, and called her attorney and the District Attorney’s Office, and the Thursday date was set.
Phillips is facing up to six years in prison, Romero said. The remaining charges – hit-and-run, driving on a suspended license, false report of a crime, and destroying evidence – were dropped.
A date for sentencing has not yet been set.
In April, Phillips pleaded no contest to a felony charge of DUI with injury and priors as part of a plea deal. After the deal was established, prosecutors learned Phillips had failed to make it through a rehabilitation and alcohol treatment program in the past – something her plea deal revolved around – before again being arrested for drunken driving. She had voluntarily started the outpatient program, her attorney said, which does not offer the same treatment and rehabilitation as an inpatient program. The deal was rejected and the case reverted back to a not-guilty plea status. Heather Marie Phillips Business hours: Monday-friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Main number .................... Steve Miller ......................
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