Passenger killed, driver suspected of DUI after weekend crash in south Sacramento

A Sacramento man is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol in a Saturday afternoon crash in south Sacramento that resulted in the death of his passenger, authorities said.

The crash involved three vehicles in the area of Florin and Power Inn roads, the California Highway Patrol said in a Monday news release.

A 2014 Acura was stopped at a red light on westbound Florin Road, waiting to turn right onto Power Inn Road, and a 1999 Volvo dump truck was heading north on Power Inn Road, when a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta approached the stopped Acura from behind, officials with the CHP’s South Sacramento office wrote.

The Volkswagen, driven by a 70-year-old Sacramento man, was unable to stop in time due to “intoxication and unsafe speed” of about 50 mph, according to the CHP news release. The Volkswagen sideswiped the driver-side mirror of the Acura before continuing into the intersection, broadsiding the dump truck and causing major front-end damage to the Volkswagen.

A 71-year-old woman in the front passenger seat who was determined to not be wearing a seat belt suffered major injuries in the crash, and she was taken to a hospital where she died of her injuries, the CHP said.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman Capt. Parker Wilbourn said two people were hospitalized following the crash, one of whom died and one with moderate injuries.

The CHP news release did not identify the Volkswagen driver or say whether he was arrested. It was not immediately clear whether the driver remains in treatment at a hospital.

The victim’s identity will be released by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office pending notification of family.

This story was originally published May 15, 2022 at 3:53 PM.