Court proceedings continued last week (June 3) for a Morongo Valley woman accused of killing two teenagers while driving drunk in Morongo Valley two years ago. Nicole Packer, 35, was arrested in December 2020 on murder charges after investigators said that about 10:30 p.m. on June 12, 2019, Packer was driving a 2018 white Ford Fiesta westbound on Highway 62 just west of Rosella Drive at a high rate of speed when her car crashed into a 2018 Toyota Prius that was turning into the Circle K gas station. Two teenagers in the back seat of the Prius, Hart Campbell, 14, and Ruby Campbell,17, both died at local hospitals a few hours later. Their parents, Colin Campbell and Gail Lerner, were seriously injured, as was Packer; they were all taken to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs. It took 18 months for the District Attorney to investigate the case, resulting in warrants for Packer’s arrest on two counts of murder, as well as driving under the influence causing injury, and causing great bodily harm or death to multiple victims, driving with a suspended license, and driving more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit while DUI. Nicole Packer remains in custody at the West Valley Detention Center with her bail set at $2.5 million. Packer’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 19, 2021.
