The president of a California mortgage company is accused of driving under the influence and speeding through a red light in her Range Rover, before crashing into another vehicle and killing an 88-year-old passenger on the scene.
Serene Francie Rosenberg, 48, allegedly ran a red light and crashed head-on with a Ford Transit van in Dana Point—almost around 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles—on Friday around 6:15 p.m., according to a news release from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on Saturday. The impact of the crash was so severe that it almost immediately claimed the life of the van’s passenger, 88-year-old Dana Point, a Melvin Joseph Weibel resident.
Killed While Speeding
According to police, the van’s driver was transported to a nearby hospital with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries.” “Based on preliminary investigation, the Land Rover was traveling westbound on Stonehill Drive and turned left against a red arrow signal in front of the Ford Transit van traveling eastbound on Stonehill Drive,” the sheriff’s department revealed.
Rosenberg, who has served as president of OCMBC’s LoanStream Mortgage in Irvine since 2019, was taken into custody at the scene on suspicion of murder and driving under the influence.
She is currently being held at the Orange County Jail.
Authorities also revealed that she had “three prior convictions” before allegedly driving while intoxicated and causing the death of the 88-year-old van passenger. After the deadly crash, OCMBC issued a statement confirming that Rosenberg had been placed on administrative leave and permanently removed from her role as president.
John Hamel, the former Chief Capital Markets Officer at LoanStream, has been appointed as her replacement. “This has been a difficult time for everyone affected by this tragic event, and our hearts go out to those impacted,” said Rabi Aziz, CEO of OCMBC.
Shocked Beyond Words
The company also expressed “its deepest sympathies following the tragic traffic accident” in the statement.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking event, and we intend to monitor the situation closely, responding with care and responsibility in accordance with our company’s core values.”
Aziz founded OCMBC in 1992, and the company is currently licensed to operate in 47 states across the U.S.
Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the fatal crash or has relevant information to reach out to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Traffic Bureau at 949-425-1860.
