OAKLAND — An Alameda woman accused of killing a man by crashing her car into his motorcycle got a rare form of legal reprieve last month when a judge ruled prosecutors had no right to charge her when they did.
The misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter case was thrown out on April 23, after a court hearing where the victim’s widow read an impact statement, court records show. The Alameda County District Attorney’s office wanted to charge the 52-year-old Alameda woman with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, but when they filed the case on March 17, the statute of limitations had already expired, Judge Cara Sandberg.
The legal blunder appears to have two sources, based on a review of the case file. The crash occurred on Jan. 18, 2025, giving prosecutors a year to file misdemeanor charges and three years to charge the woman with a felony. Oakland police finished their investigation and brought it to the DA on Feb. 4, after it was already too late, according to court records.
Prosecutors filed the case anyway, only for Sandberg to grant a defense motion throwing it out. The police investigation determined the woman “failed to yield the right-of-way and was primarily at fault for the collision” on Fruitvale Avenue in Oakland, killing 53-year-old Michael Dignon, who left behind a wife and two children, his obituary says.
“Known for his ever-present smile, joyous laugh, and boundless generosity, Mike touched the lives of many with his willingness to help anyone in need. From the time he was young he showed a natural inclination for all things mechanical,” the obituary says. “A true jack-of-all-trades, he was a master at fixing anything and everything, always ready to lend a hand. He enjoyed gathering with friends to participate in hobbies like boating, fishing, dirt biking, camping, wrenching and cruising.”
Police determined Dignon had methamphetamine in his system but said he was driving safely despite it, according to court records. The Alameda woman’s driving was determined to be unsafe, but not so negligent to warrant a more serious felony manslaughter charge, according to court records.
The statute of limitation is a basic legal principle but allows some exceptions; state law says it can be extended for certain sex crimes or for so-called “wobbler” offenses, which can be charged as felonies or misdemeanors.
The defendant was out of custody from the time of the case’s filing to its dismissal, court records show.