Westminster : Motorcyclist Charged in Passenger’s Death

A motorcyclist was charged with vehicular manslaughter Saturday night after his passenger was killed when the cycle went out of control and overturned, police said.

Kenneth A. Burke, 31, of Fullerton was driving north on Edwards Avenue shortly after 9 p.m. when he lost control of the motorcycle, police said. Both Burke and his passenger, Marlina K. Perkins, 36, were thrown from the vehicle when it overturned. Perkins was taken to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital’s trauma center, where she was pronounced dead.

“There was no apparent reason for the accident other than Burke’s apparent consumption of alcohol,” Westminster Police Lt. Mike Ratliff said.

Burke was treated for a broken leg and cuts at Humana Hospital in Westminster, and was released without bail on the vehicular-manslaughter charge. Additional alcohol-related charges could be filed later once laboratory reports are in, Ratliff said.