Woman expected to get prison in crash that killed two of her friends

A 23-year-old woman pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter in the deaths of two friends who were passengers in her car when she crashed on the 110 Freeway after a birthday bash at a downtown L.A. night club.

Jeanette Romero is expected to be sentenced to two years and eight months in state prison after pleading to two counts of vehicular manslaughter Thursday, as well as to allegations of causing great bodily injury, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

District Atty. Colby Cano said Romero had been at a downtown Los Angeles club with four of her girlfriends on Nov. 3, 2013, celebrating 22-year-old Ana Cuadra’s birthday.

Romero was driving northbound on the 110 Freeway near Avenue 52 when shortly after 2 a.m. she hit a curb at a turnout, striking a chain link fence and a tree, the prosecutor said.

Blanca Belman-Almanza, 23, who was in the front passenger seat of the Nissan, was killed, as was Cuadra, who was seated in the rear of the car. Two other female passengers were seriously injured.

The car was so badly mangled that Los Angeles city firefighters had to cut the women out of the car.

Romero herself was listed in critical condition in the aftermath of the crash.

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