LAKE ELSINORE – A 35-year-old woman who allegedly caused a crash that fatally injured a 5-year-old Lake Elsinore girl has been charged with murder and other counts, a deputy district attorney said Wednesday.

Michelle Coplen, who was originally booked under the false name of Kimberly Marie Tormey, was arrested Dec. 11 and held in lieu of $1 million on charges of hit-and-run with death or injury, DUI with injury, DUI with bodily injury and driving on a suspended or revoked license.

A felony settlement conference was held, the bail was lowered and a preliminary hearing date set, but then the little girl died.
Sierra Heidrich was pronounced dead about 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to Valerie Zuker, a prosecutor with the district attorney's office.

The D.A.'s office amended the complaint and Coplen was arraigned Tuesday on charges of murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI with injury, hit-and-run with injury, falsely impersonating someone else and driving with a suspended license.

Coplen also faces allegations that she caused great bodily injury while driving on a .08 or higher blood alcohol level, said Chris Bouffard, deputy district attorney.

The defendant also has two prior DUI convictions, he said.

A felony settlement conference was set for Jan. 9

Amber Heidrich, 30, of Lake Elsinore, was driving a Nissan sedan south on Corydon Street about 9:30 p.m. Dec. 10 when a Ford pickup being driven the wrong way came head-on at the Nissan, Riverside County sheriff's deputies said.

Heidrich tried to swerve to miss the pickup but her vehicle was struck on the right side, near the rear passenger door, sheriffs officials said.

The woman's 5-year-old niece, who was strapped into a child's booster seat, suffered “major injuries” and was rushed to Loma Linda University Medical Center, according to the Sheriff's Department.

Investigators identified Coplen, who gave her name as Tormey, as the driver of the 1993 Ford F-150 pickup that allegedly caused the collision. Neither she nor her passenger were injured, according to sheriff's officials.

Heidrich also suffered injuries but information on the extent of those injuries was not available.


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