Novato woman charged with double-fatal vehicle wreck to return to court in April

By Elizabeth Larson | Mar 26, 2021
Keilah Marie Coyle, 21, of Novato, California, remains in custody on $2 million bail for vehicular manslaughter for a crash near Middletown, California, on Saturday, March 13, 2021, that killed two Clearlake residents. Lake County Jail photo.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Novato woman will return to court in April for further proceedings as she faces prosecution for a crash that killed two Clearlake residents earlier this month.

Keilah‌ ‌Marie‌ ‌Coyle,‌ ‌21,‌ was in court on Tuesday for her second court appearance, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

On the night of March 13, authorities said Coyle was driving drunk in a 2003‌ ‌Ford‌ ‌F-250‌ ‌pickup‌ on Highway 29 north of Middletown when she crossed the double-yellow lines and collided head-on with a 2000 GMC van driven by Cassandra‌ ‌Elaine‌ ‌Rolicheck,‌ ‌53.

Rolicheck and her passenger, 47-year-old Miguel‌ ‌Maciel‌ ‌Dominguez, were declared dead at the scene, officials said.

Hours earlier, Coyle was involved in a noninjury hit-and-run crash in Sonoma County, which authorities are continuing to investigate.

Hinchcliff has charged Coyle with eight felony charges – two counts each of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, negligent vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence causing injury. – and special allegations of causing great bodily injury to both victims and an enhancement that would give additional prison time on conviction for causing death to more than one person.

Hinchcliff said Coyle has hired Tim Hodson, an attorney from Sacramento, to represent her.

She will return to court on April 13 for the next hearing, which will include bail review, Hinchcliff said.

Until then, Coyle’s bail is still $2 million and she remains in custody at the Lake County Jail, jail records showed.

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Hodson is from Fairfield.

Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.