Case of Interest: People v. Valerie Myssin

June 10, 2002
Case: People v. Valerie Mysin
Contact: Kit Cleland, (916) 874-5258

THREE-YEAR SENTENCE FOR HIT-AND-RUN

On June 10, 2002, Valerie Mysin was sentenced to prison for 3 years by the Honorable Jack Supunor after being convicted of fleeing the scene of an accident.

Mysin was charged with vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident as a result of a collision which occurred on January 10, 1999, at Raintree Drive and Auburn Boulevard in Citrus Heights. Evidence at the trial indicated that Mysin and Ruslan Palamaryuk were driving at excessive speed and in competition with one another as they traveled westbound on Auburn Boulevard. Mrs. Patricia Jamieson, 63, was edging out onto Auburn Boulevard from Raintree Drive. She was struck broadside by Palamaryuk’s 1992 Corvette as he changed lanes into the slow lane just before reaching the intersection. Mrs. Jamieson died instantly. Mysin’s Toyota MR2 was struck by flying debris as he passed the colliding automobiles.

Mysin continued on without stopping. He returned to the collision scene in a friend’s automobile to see if Mr. Palmaryuk, an acquaintance, was dead or alive. However, Mr. Mysin did not contact investigating officers, Mr. Palamaryuk, or Mrs. Jamieson on his return. He again left the scene, retreived his vehicle, and drove it home. It was seized 3 three days later by the Citrus Heights Police Department serving a search warrant.

Mr. Mysin’s conduct was aggravated by the fact that he had been convicted of driving in excess of 100 miles per hour on September 20, 1997, and of doing 75 miles per hour in a residential area on July 10, 1998. Two months after the collision causing Mrs. Jamieson’s death, he was again convicted of speeding while driving in Ventura County.

The jury acquitted Mr. Mysin of vehicular manslaughter. A separate jury considering Mr. Palamaryuk’s conduct was unable to reach a verdict on a vehicular manslaughter charge. A mistrial was declared on April 26, 2002.