CCPD: Second death in open DUI manslaughter case
A second person has died from the injuries she sustained in a crash over the holiday weekend.
At 12:12 a.m. today, Joan Ortiz, 78, of Salem, South Carolina, passed away at Lee Memorial Hospital, where she taken after the July 4 accident. Paul Ortiz, 84, of Salem, South Carolina, died on July 5.
According to Cape Coral police, Montaigu A. Moselle, 36, of Pawtucket Road, Rhode Island, was driving a Kia Forte eastbound on Veterans Memorial Parkway when she stopped at Skyline Boulevard. At 10:33 p.m., she tried to turn north onto Skyline, entering the path of a westbound Chevy Impala.
As a result, the Kia struck the Chevy, which was traveling at about 50 mph, head on.
According to witnesses, eastbound and westbound traffic had solid red arrows for the turn lanes.
The impact forced the Chevy to the northwest, where it came to rest against the curb. The Kia was forced to the west, where is came to rest in the median on the west side of Skyline, police said.
Moselle suffered serious injuries and was trauma-alerted to the hospital. She has since been released.
The driver of the Chevy, Paul W. Ortiz, 56, of Woodridge, New Jersey, sustained injuries in the accident and was transported to the hospital, along with the three passengers in his vehicle.
He and one passenger, Kathleen Ortiz, 57, of New Jersey, have since been released.
Police reported today that the case is an active DUI manslaughter investigation.
According to a report, Moselle’s blood alcohol content was .214 at the time of the crash.