Placentia motorist to stand trial in death of pedestrian

A 29-year-old from Placentia will stand trial Friday for allegedly running a red light, killing a pedestrian and injuring two others in a haze of methamphetamine and prescription drugs.

Adam Harrison Hall has been charged with five felonies, including one count of murder and one count of driving under the influence, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. If convicted, Hall, who pleaded guilty to two previous DUI charges in 2008, faces a maximum sentence of 21 years to life in state prison.

At about 11:10 a.m. on Feb. 13, 2011, Hall was driving northbound on Moulton Parkway in Laguna Niguel in a Ford SUV. He is accused of running a red light and crashing into a Toyota SUV that was passing though the intersection, causing both of the vehicles to lose control, prosecutors said.

Hall crashed onto the sidewalk and into Maria Lynnes Steves, 48. She died as a result of her injuries.

Prosecutors believe that Hall was under the influence of 10 drugs including methamphetamine and Diazepam, or Valium. Hall also faces two felony charges of obtaining or possessing drugs secured by a forged prescription and one felony count of forgery of prescription.

Prosecutors believe that three months after the crash, Hall called Elizabeth Rene Parker, who worked in a doctor’s office, to request drugs. The woman ordered a prescription for Hall.

One day after Hall was charged with murder, the same woman ordered more drugs for the man. When he went to pick up the prescription, he was arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Parker has pleaded guilty to two felony counts each of second-degree burglary and obtaining a prescription by fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. She was sentenced to two years in state prison.

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-- Nicole Santa Cruz