Community Corner

Lake Elsinore Girl Killed By Drunk Driver Remembered

Monday's event at the Riverside County District Attorney's Office paid tribute to Sierra Lynn Heidrich, 5, who died in 2006.

Lake Elsinore resident Amber Heidrich, 35, wiped tears several times Monday morning as she hugged supporters and answered reporters’ questions about her young niece who was killed by a drunk driver.

Monday’s event at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office was held to honor 5-year-old Sierra Lynn Heidrich’s gift of life made after her death five years ago.

Flanked by Deputy District Attorney Chris Bouffard and Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station Captain Dave Fontneau, Amber put the finishing touches on a floral portrait, or “floragraph,” of Sierra Lynn that will be featured in the 2012 Rose Parade.

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“She was a giver,” Amber said of Sierra Lynn. “She’d give you the shirt off her back if she knew that would make your day better. She had that kind of character.”

On Dec. 10, 2006, Sierra Lynn was riding with her aunt in their Nissan Sentra on Corydon Street when they were hit by 36-year-old Michelle Lynne Coplen, who was driving under the influence and had four prior DUI convictions.

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Sierra Lynn suffered massive head injuries in the crash and doctors eventually determined she was brain dead. Eleven days after the crash, about 25 Heidrich family members made the painful decision to remove the little girl from life support.

Coplen was sentenced to life in prison, and is serving a minimum of 20 years and eight months before becoming eligible for parole, said Bouffard, who successfully prosecuted the case against her.

When she does become eligible for parole, the deputy D.A. said he’ll be waiting for her.

“If I’m alive, I will be there,” to “fight vehemently” against her release, he said.

Captain Fontneau was a lieutenant working traffic at the time of the crash. He was a first responder on the scene.

“It’s not a situation you let go of, especially when a child is involved,” he said.

Monday’s ceremony was “bittersweet,” the captain explained.

Casting his gaze downward, he recalled that a little girl died … and two lives were saved.

When the family made the decision to remove Sierra Lynn from life support, they also decided to let her live through others.  Her kidneys were harvested, and two women, ages 36 and 53, were “gift of life” recipients.

“I haven’t had the chance to meet them,” Amber said of the two women. “I hope to someday. It’s a process to get there.”

Amber and her parents were in the process of adopting Sierra Lynn when the crash occurred. While she didn’t want to discuss the personal details of the adoption, she said every day is another chapter in their lives, which are forever changed by the 2006 tragedy.

For now, Amber is working to spread the word about the deadly perils of driving under the influence and about the wonders of organ donation.

She’s also looking ahead to the Rose Parade. This is her fourth year helping to put together the Donate Life float, a project spearheaded by OneLegacy, an organ and tissue recovery agency in Southern California.

The 2012 parade marks the first time Sierra Lynn’s floragraph will be featured on the float – and the first time Amber has helped create one for a family member.

She said she wants Sierra Lynn’s likeness to shine through for the world to see.

“I want to capture her beauty.”


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