80-year-old faces murder charge after crash in RV kills Grass Valley woman

An 80-year-old man is in custody after the California Highway Patrol said he intentionally crashed his motor home into another vehicle, killing the driver, on New Year’s Eve near the small Nevada County community of Dew Drop.

In a news release, the Grass Valley-area CHP said Raymond Poquette of Grass Valley had been driving a 35-foot RV southbound on Highway 49 just north of Cerrito Road around 11:11 p.m.

At this time, he crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on into a 2011 Nissan Altima, driven by a 56-year-old Grass Valley woman. Poquette also hit a 2010 Dodge Charger being driven behind the Nissan.

Grass Valley CHP officers said that the woman’s injuries were fatal, while the driver of the Dodge suffered minor injuries.

Overnight and into New Year’s Day, officers investigated the circumstances surrounding the crash along with the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office, CHP Computer Crimes Unit and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

CHP officers determined there was probable cause to make an arrest, and took Poquette into custody in Grass Valley. Authorities have not disclosed additional details of the incident, but said Poquette faces one charge of murder.

Poquette was booked into the Nevada County Jail on Friday afternoon, where he remains in custody, per Sheriff’s Office records.