An Arizona man accused of driving while impaired and causing a Coachella freeway crash that killed his 73-year-old mother must stand trial on murder, DUI gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving causing injury charges, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Thonglinh Khemphomma, 52, of Laveen, Arizona, is accused in the May 19, 2017, crash that killed Sim Khemphomma of Mountain Lake, Minnesota.
Khemphomma was behind the wheel of a 2005 Nissan Sentra that overturned about 7:20 a.m. on westbound Interstate 10, east of Dillon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP Officer Mike Radford said the driver allowed the Sentra to drift to the left side of the freeway and into the center divider, where it went over an embankment and overturned.
Khemphomma’s mother was pronounced dead at the scene, Radford said, and her son was treated for moderate injuries at Desert Regional Medical Center before being booked into the Riverside County jail in Indio.
Khemphomma, who remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail, is slated to return to court July 3 for a post-preliminary hearing arraignment.