A Superior Court judge ruled a Santa Maria Valley woman should stand trial for charges related to allegedly driving the wrong way for 14 miles on Highway 101, while drunk, leading to a crash that killed a woman and injured her husband.

Judge Stephen Dunkle issued his decision at the end of a preliminary hearing for defendant Kendra Cordova, 35, in a Santa Maria courtroom Wednesday morning.

Cordova was arrested after allegedly causing the head-on crash on southbound Highway 101 south of Betteravia Road at approximately 5:25 a.m. Sept. 8.

While going the wrong direction, her Mazda CX-9 slammed into a Chevrolet Silverado truck, the California Highway Patrol said.

Alma Teresa Alcorta Del Lazaro, 53, of Santa Maria, was fatally injured in the crash. Her husband, the truck’s driver, Cecilio L. Camacho, 63, of Santa Maria, also was injured. 

The impact of the crash left the wrecked truck on the concrete center divider. Pictures displayed during the preliminary hearing showed the vehicle and crash debris including a white cowboy hat sitting on the asphalt.

Cordova reportedly had a blood-alcohol content of 0.26% per a test taken four hours after the crash, according to legal documents.

In the days after the crash, investigators determined Cordova had worked a shift as a bartender late Sept. 7 and early Sept. 8 at the 1880 Union Hotel in Los Alamos, according to a CHP officer’s declaration in support of the arrest warrant.

Along with one count of murder, Cordova was held to answer to charges of felony driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and driving with blood-alcohol level above a 0.08% causing injury. 

She also faces a number of special allegations or sentencing enhancements.

With multiple callers alerting law enforcement dispatchers of a wrong-way driver on Highway 101, California Highway Patrol officers unsuccessfully attempted to intercept the speeding vehicle.

CHP Officer Jason Traughber testified he spoke to Cordova after the crash. She mentioned sampling multiple signature cocktails while at work in Los Alamos hours earlier, Traughber said.

The driver also mentioned she had taken the Responsible Beverage Service training provide by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Traughber said.

Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office Investigator Robert Parmelee testified he confirmed the defendant had completed the entirely online training program aimed at avoiding overserving alcohol to customers. 

The training includes how to identify signs, effects and dangers of intoxication. 

In summarizing the case, Senior Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore cited the testimony the defendant had been drinking excessively in the hours before the crash and her training.

“We learned she was trained in the dangers of drinking and driving,” Whitmore said, adding that Cordova still drove erratically and dangerously.

Defense attorney Billy Redell urged the judge to instead hold Cordova to answer to a lesser charge of vehicular manslaughter, not murder.

“There was no malice at any point here,” Redell said, also recognizing the tragic results of Cordova’s actions. 

After hearing from the witnesses and attorneys, the judged determined enough evidence existed for the case to move toward trial.

That included allegations Cordova consumed a large amount of alcohol, drove the wrong way for 14 miles as fast as 74 mph and passing a CHP officer trying to intervene, Dunkle said.

Cordova will return to court June 23 for arraignment on the information.

She remains in the custody of the Santa Barbara County Jail.