Lake Worth-area man facing multiple charges in crash that killed Greenacres woman, 39
LANTANA — A suburban Lake Worth Beach man involved in an April crash west of Lantana that killed a Greenacres woman had significant traces of alcohol in his system, authorities said Thursday in disclosing his arrest on multiple charges.
Blood tests done on Richard Lipinski, 25, shortly after the crash found him to be at least three times over the legal threshold for intoxication when his car hit one driven by Amarilys Zamora on April 3, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said.
The force of the wreck at Jog and Hypoluxo roads was so strong that it threw Zamora from her Chevrolet Impala even though she was wearing a seat belt, according to a PBSO crash report. Investigators estimate Lipinski was driving at about 90 mph seconds before the wreck.
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DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide among charges
PBSO on Wednesday arrested Lipinski on charges that include DUI manslaughter, DUI with property damage and vehicular homicide.
During a court hearing with the victim's family present Thursday, a judge ordered that he be held in lieu of $340,000 bail. He was also ordered to not have contact with the victim's family. Lipinski remained in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail as of late Thursday.
Authorities say Lipinski was impaired by both alcohol and drugs as he drove west on Hypoluxo and approached its intersection at Jog shortly before 5 a.m. April 3.
According to his PBSO arrest report, a blood draw taken at a hospital within two hours of the wreck revealed that Lipinski had a blood alcohol content of .346. The state threshold for intoxication is 0.08.
Later that morning, a PBSO investigator requested that a nurse conduct take another sample from Lipinski for law enforcement records. That sample revealed 0.250 grams of ethanol per 100 milliliters of blood.
The blood sample also revealed traces of cocaine, Lidocaine and Morphine in Lipinski's system, authorities said.
Driver's car also struck two other vehicles after fatal wreck, PBSO said
PBSO's arrest report said Lipinski ran a red light in his 2010 Honda Crosstour SUV and crashed into Zamora's vehicle.
Lipinski then was redirected and crashed into two other vehicles before coming to a stop. The occupants of those vehicles all declined treatment from paramedics.
Lipinski was taken to Delray Medical Center with injuries that at the time were described as life-threatening.
At the hospital, a PBSO investigator observed that Lipinski had a strong alcohol odor. Investigators at the crash scene also reported that his car smelled of alcohol.
jwhigham@pbpost.com
@JuliusWhigham
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man facing multiple charges in crash that killed Greenacres woman, 39
