Expert claims driver had psychotic episodes

A psychiatrist who treated an Irvine woman two days after she was in a car accident that killed a Costa Mesa teacher testified this morning that her patient experienced psychotic episodes around that time and may have been unaware of what she was doing when she crashed her car.

The defense is hoping to convince jurors that Janene Johns, 53, was unconscious in mind, not body, when she lost control of her 2006 Lexus in Aug. 23, 2006 and fatally struck Eastbluff Elementary School teacher Candace Tift, who was riding her bike.

Prosecutors claim Johns was intoxicated with prescription medications and charged her with vehicular manslaughter while under the influence. Johns had admitted in an interview with police a few hours after the accident she had taken several prescription medications earlier that day, including Ambien sleeping pills and Mucinex, a cough-suppressant.

This morning’s psychiatrist, Ebtesam Khaled, was the second in the trial. A psychiatrist Wednesday gave similar testimony.

Khaled was expected to buttress the defense’s claim that Johns was suffering from acute grief disorder, or at least from some of its symptoms, around the time of the accident. She did testify that Johns’ symptoms allowed the possibility that she could have been unaware when she was driving, but stopped short of saying she was technically unconscious.

Johns’ case hinges on whether the jury believes she was unconscious or not, Judge Daniel McNerney said while the jury was outside the courtroom. A person cannot commit a crime when they’re unconscious, unless it is drug-induced, attorneys said. A toxicologist is expected to testify this afternoon that blood samples taken from Johns after the accident rebut results submitted by Orange County Sheriff’s toxicologists earlier this week.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.