Motorist arrested in connection with fatal car wreck

By John Loesing Acorn Staff Writer

Police arrested Diane Shakov at her Agoura Hills home on Monday in connection with the May 1 traffic accident that took the life of a Westlake High School student.

Shakov, 31, was booked at the main jail in Ventura for gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Both charges are felonies.

Tuesday, Shakov was released on $50,000 bail.

According to investigators, Shakov failed to stop at a red light at the intersection of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Lakeview Canyon Road and slammed into car driven by Nicole Johnson, a 17-year-old senior at Westlake High School.

Investigators said Shakov was driving her BMW 325 between 60 and 67 mph when she struck Johnson’s Volkswagen Jetta from behind. The impact thrust the car across the intersection into a utility pole.

The posted speed limit is 45 mph.

Johnson suffered severe head injuries and was taken off life support three days following the accident. Shakov suffered facial, chest and leg injuries and was released from Los Robles Hospital a short while later.

No skids marks were found at the scene of the accident, said Sgt. Patti Salas of the Thousand Oaks Police Department. She explained how investigators determined Shakov’s rate of speed.

"They measure how far the damage intruded in on the vehicle and through a mathematical equation and some physics we were able to determine approximate speed," Salas said. "She exceeded the speed limit and this is what happens."

Shakov was driving under the influence of a prescription narcotic, sources said.

If convicted, Shakov faces up to 10 years in state prison, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

Johnson excelled in both sports and academics. She was a member of the soccer team and track team and served as a leader in student government. She also took part in church functions at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks and at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village.

Johnson had planned to study theater at the University of California Santa Cruz.