San Jose Man Dies In Fatal DUI Crash
A San José man was killed as a result of a fatal crash on northbound Highway 85. California Highway Patrol Officer, Ralph Caggiano, told reporters that officers responded to a report of a crash at about 11:30 pm Thursday evening.
According to CBS San Francisco, Caggiano stated that a man driving a black Nissan Maxima was speeding and rear-ended a 1966 red Volkswagen Beetle. The Beetle then overturned in the middle lane while the Maxima came to a stop on the shoulder of the road. Both individuals were then taken to a local hospital.
San José Mercury News reported that the driver of the Beetle has now been identified by the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office as 19-year-old Alex-Jacob Jaramillo of San José. The driver of the Nissan Maxima has now been identified as 27-year-old Kylendra Kumar.
While Kumar was treated at the scene of the accident and then taken to Valley Medical Center, Jaramillo had to be extricated for the Beetle before he was also transported to Valley Medical Center. Jaramillo reportedly died later of his injuries.
After being treated for minor injuries, Kumar was arrested and taken into police custody on suspicion of felony driving under the influence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 30 people die in the United States every day in a vehicle crash that involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
“In 2010, 10,228 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31 percent) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.” The report also stated that “in 2010, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s one percent of the 112 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.”
The CDC also stated that other drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana, are involved in about 18 percent of motor vehicle driver deaths. Thought the report does state that many of these drugs are often combined with alcohol.
A preliminary investigation indicates Kumar had rear-ended the Beetle, causing both cars to spin out of controls. The California Highway Patrol stated that “at least one vehicle drove up a dirt embankment on the right shoulder and both vehicles overturned causing major damage.” The incident caused the closure of northbound Highway 85 for nearly two hours while the crash was cleared away.
Officials have stated that they are still investigating the situation. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office will review the case and then decide what charges, if any, should be filed against Kumar according to San José Mercury News.
[Image via Shutterstock/Rob Byron]
