Woman charged in fatal DUI crash on Rickenbacker Causeway makes first court appearance

Police say Jessica Fuentes' blood-alcohol content was twice legal limit

MIAMI – A South Florida woman is accused of drunken driving and causing a fatal crash on the Rickenbacker Causeway. 

Jessica Fuentes, 23, faced a judge Monday.

She is charged with driving under the influence, DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in the Saturday night crash that killed a Key Biscayne wife and mother.

Police said Fuentes was driving westbound on the Rickenbacker Causeway when she slammed into the rear of another vehicle, pushing it through the median.

Prosecutors said Fuentes was going at such a high rate of speed when she struck the victim's car that it was catapulted through the median and into a chain-link fence.

"The fence pierced the passenger side and impaled the victim," one prosecutor said.

The passenger in that car, identified as Paula Carra Rafetti, died at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The investigation following the crash shut down the causeway for over six hours.

Police said Fuentes failed all field sobriety tests and when she took a Breathalyzer test three hours later, her blood-alcohol content was twice the legal limit.

The judge set bond at $75,000. If Fuentes is released, she will be on house arrest.