Soap Actress Jailed for DUI Accident

Feb. 14, 2013 - PRLog -- An actress that once appeared on Melrose Place was convicted of vehicular manslaughter for driving drunk and killing another woman with her SUV. Amy Locane-Bovenizer, 40 years-old, was acquitted of the more serious charge of aggravated manslaughter, but her bail was revoked and she was jailed immediately following the guilty verdict for vehicular manslaughter. She will serve two years instead of the maximum of ten.

The accident occurred in central New Jersey after the actress left a community theater cast party. Her blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit when she got behind the wheel of her SUV. She first rear-ended a vehicle that followed her for four miles after realizing the actress was too drunk to drive.

Following the initial accident, the actress drove down a two-lane unlit road with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour. According to witnesses, the actress was traveling at 35 miles per hour until just before the accident when she accelerated to 50 miles per hour directly into a car making a left turn into a driveway. Inside that car was an older couple. The wife was killed in the accident and the husband was seriously injured.

In the actress’s defense, the first driver that she rear-ended had frightened her by attempting to remove her keys from the ignition. After that, the chase that ensued may have contributed to her impulse to speed away. She was undeniably too drunk to drive regardless.

Though she hasn’t been sentenced yet, Locane-Bovenizer could face up to 15 years in prison. She will probably face about 10 years for vehicular manslaughter and another three to five for vehicular assault. This doesn’t include any additional charges for driving under the influence, reckless driving and fleeing the scene of an accident.

The actress was originally credited as Amy Locane when she appeared on the first season of Melrose Place. Her character Sandy Louise Harling is in 13 episodes from that season. She also has credits in Cry-Baby, School Ties and Airheads. She became Locane-Bovenizer after her marriage and she retired from professional acting to raise her children.