75-year-old Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Leisure World Manslaughter

ORANGE COUNTY, CA -- A 75-year-old woman accused of driving drunk while hitting and killing an 86-year-old man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Dale Snyder Quinn of Seal Beach was charged in connection with a May 20 crash in Leisure World that took the life of resident Robert Dillon, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Quinn faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Deputy District Attorney Anna McIntire, who is prosecuting Quinn, said she feels confident about the case against Quinn.

“She had a very high blood alcohol level, and her driving was very dangerous because she paid zero attention to the warning signs on the road,” McIntire said.

Aside from entering her plea, Quinn didn’t say anything during Tuesday’s arraignment, said McIntire. The victim’s family members were not in court Tuesday, according to McIntire.

Quinn’s attorney could not be reached for comment.  

Quinn is accused of drinking before getting behind the wheel of her car and slamming into Dillon as he was crossing the street at St. Andrews Drive and Tam O'Shanter Road on his battery-operated scooter.

Dillon was pronounced dead eight days after the collision.

Quinn had a blood-alcohol content of 0.22 percent, well above the legal limit of 0.08, an hour after the crash, prosecutors allege.

Quinn is out of custody on $50,000 bail.