These deaths are not ‘accidents’
By Eric Eisenhammer, April 13, 2026 5:00 am
Victims’ families, advocates, and lawmakers gathered Wednesday at the California State Capitol to support Senate Bill 1071, as families testified that their loved ones were killed in impaired driving and drug-related crimes but are still officially recorded as “accidents” on death certificates, even after criminal convictions. The bill would allow those records to be corrected when a court determines the death was a homicide. It advanced out of the Senate Health Committee on a 9-0 vote.
SB 1071, introduced by Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa), would create a legal pathway for families to amend a loved one’s death certificate once a court has ruled the death a homicide.
Under current law, those deaths often remain classified as “accidents,” even after convictions — a startling misstatement that obscures the true scale of impaired driving and drug-related fatalities, diminishes accountability, and leaves families with official records that contradict what the courts have already determined.
These deaths are not “accidents.” These are the result of a violent crime. Driving impaired is not an accident. Selling fentanyl is not an accident. These are deliberate choices and are already recognized as homicides.
With its approval by the Senate Health Committee, the bill advances closer to becoming California law and an example for the nation. Numerous other states are already considering adopting similar legislation.
Candace Lightner, founder of We Save Lives and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and co-founder of the Not An Accident campaign, spoke in support of the bill alongside Riverside County Chief Deputy District Attorney Ivy Fitzpatrick. Lightner has spent decades advocating for victims of impaired driving following the death of her daughter, Cari.
During testimony before the committee, Lightner described both the loss of her daughter and the impact of how that loss has been recorded.
“My daughter, Cari—forever 13—was killed on May 3, 1980, while walking to a school carnival. She was hit from behind, thrown 125 feet, and left in the road to die.
I later learned the man who killed her was out on bail from another hit-and-run drunk driving crash and had three prior drunk driving convictions in four years—yet still held a valid California driver’s license.
For 46 years, I have worked to remove the inaccurate, inappropriate word ‘accident’ from our language and our laws. Calling these deaths ‘accidents’ misrepresents what happened, blurs the line between tragedy and wrongdoing, and helps negligent and reckless drivers evade full accountability.
Imagine my shock when I saw my own daughter’s final death certificate and read ‘accident’ under manner of death. That is not the truth. Cari was killed in a drunk driving crime. Her death should have been classified as a homicide.
SB 1071 gives families a way to correct that injustice.”
At the hearing, victims’ family members lined up one by one in support of SB 1071, holding pictures of loved ones killed by impaired driving and by fentanyl, and emphasizing that their loved ones’ death were not accidents. Many cried and you could feel the weight in the committee room as victims spoke.
Matt Capelouto, co-founder of the Not An Accident campaign and a sponsor of Alexandra’s Law, also spoke in support of the bill, pointing to broader efforts to ensure deaths related to impaired driving and drug distribution are properly classified. Capelouto’s daughter, Alexandra, died of fentanyl poisoning after she bought what she believed was a legitimate prescription pain pill that the dealer later admitted he knew was laced with fentanyl.
Ensuring accurate classification of deaths is not only about justice for victims and their families, but is also essential for giving policymakers correct information, as misclassification can obscure the scope of preventable fatalities.
Following its approval by the Senate Health Committee, SB 1071 will next be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Eric Eisenhammer serves as Communications Director for the Not An Accident campaign.
‘Not An Accident’ Bill Advances in Senate Committee on 9-0 Vote
