A tragic weekend DUI accident in Salinas left one person dead and another with major injuries. KION-TV reports the collision occurred at the intersection of West Market Street and Villa Street on March 26, 2023.
Salinas Police says that a 32-year-old woman was speeding on West Market Street at around 2 a.m. Sunday morning when her small SUV struck a small car head-on. Witnesses who spoke with investigators said the woman may have been traveling at twice the posted speed limit.
The car had three men inside. One was rushed to a local trauma center but tragically died there. A second victim, a 31-year-old man suffered serious injuries but was stabilized at the hospital. The third man in the car went to the hospital with minor injuries and was later released from the hospital.
The woman responsible for the accident was booked in the Monterey County Jail. She faces charges of vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI.
Kerr was arrested and booked into the Monterey County Jail on vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI charges.
DUI Driving Hazards in Salinas
Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol place anyone along their path in jeopardy of a life-threatening crash. Drivers who are impaired don’t always realize they are heading for a collision. Unlike sober drivers, they may not have the awareness to hit the brakes to reduce impact force. They can travel at full speed into a crash to carry even more force into an impact.
These irresponsible drivers cause tragedy across Monterey County each year. California transportation officials recorded 260 accidents involving drunk drivers and also causing injuries in 2021. 64 of those incidents happened in Salinas. Overall, 22 people lost their lives because someone decided to get out on Monterey County roads while under the influence.
These accidents endanger the lives of victims and they affect the victim’s family members and friends. It’s up to the residents of Salinas to keep drunk drivers off the road and to report drivers they suspect of DUI. It’s only this extra effort that will reduce the tragic accident rates local drivers are a part of each year.
A note about Salinas DUI car accidents…
If you or a loved one were the victims of a Salinas collision, you should be aware of the benefits available to you and your family through an insurance claim. Financial support should at least be expected to assist surviving victims with hospital bills.
Families who have lost a loved one must also be able to depend on car insurance support for funeral costs and the loss of income the victim can no longer provide to a spouse or children.
You can read more about earning insurance support on my page about car accident claims in Salinas.
