Crime & Safety

Woman Charged with Killing Cyclist in Mission Viejo While Intoxicated

She struck and killed a Rancho Santa Margarita father of four in March near Trabuco Hills High School.

By Martin Henderson

An Irvine woman who struck and killed a cyclist from Rancho Santa Margarita was arrested Tuesday and charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. She is alleged to have been under the influence of prescription drugs.

Hasti "Hayley" Fakhrai-Bayrooti, 39, was charged with one felony: vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence. In an exclusive Patch interview in July, Bayrooti said she feared her use of prescription drugs for manic depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder could lead to criminal charges.

On March 15 Bayrooti drove north on Santa Margarita Parkway and made a U-turn at El Toro Road around 6:45 p.m. Bayrooti's Acura drifted into the southbound bicycle lane, striking and killing Eric Billings, 54, of Rancho Santa Margarita near Trabuco Hills High, according to the Orange County District Attorney, per the Orange County Sheriff's Department's Major Accident Reconstruction Team.

According to authorities, Bayrooti was detained and a DUI investigation was conducted; she was was not charged and was released at the scene pending further investigation and results from a blood test. After blood results indicated the presence of prescription drugs, the investigation was forwarded to the district attorney's office.

A warrant was obtained for Bayrooti’s arrest with $100,000 bail. Authorities said she was arrested on Tuesday at her Irvine residence; she posted bail on Wednesday and was released from custody.

In July, Bayrooti, an attorney, expressed remorse over the accident. She said she had "suffered immensely" and had attempted suicide a week after the accident. She revealed during the interview that she was diagnosed with manic depression and had to take medication to function.

Bayrooti said during the interview she was not impaired by the medication. She said she was preparing to go to trial the following Monday, and thoughts about the trial distracted her, causing her to miss a turn onto Los Alisos, ultimately leading to the deadly U-turn at El Toro.

Bayrooti had two previous traffic citations in Orange County: a 2009 ticket for exceeding the 65 MPH speed limit and a 2011 ticket for driving while using a cell phone.

Billings, owner of a small construction company, was a youth leader at his church, the Rancho Santa Margarita Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was a father of four.

—Pete Schelden contributed to this report.


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