A Redwood City man faces felony drunken driving and possible vehicular manslaughter charges following a crash Monday that killed the man’s wife and teenage son, according to the California Highway Patrol.
According to a CHP news release, 46-year-old Reyes Barajas of Redwood City was at the wheel of a westbound 2001 Toyota Tacoma that ran off the side of Highway 16 near County Road 40 in Rumsey at about 4:45 p.m. The vehicle rolled down a steep embankment, striking a tree with its right side about 75 feet away from the road.
Two passengers in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. Yolo County coroner’s officials identified them as Barajas’ wife, 39-year-old Ann Marie Miller, and the couple’s 14-year-old son, whose name had not yet been confirmed as of Tuesday afternoon.
Miller died of a neck fracture, while the boy’s cause of death was listed as blunt-force chest injuries, Chief Deputy Coroner Robert LaBrash said. Miller had been wearing a seat belt, but it was unclear whether her son had been restrained, he said.
Barajas, who had to be extricated from the wreckage, was flown by air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries. Santa Rosa CHP officers who interviewed him at the hospital “determined that Barajas was driving the Toyota while under the influence of alcohol at the time of the traffic collision,” CHP Officer Bryan Konvalin said.
The officers arrested Barajas on suspicion of felony driving under the influence causing injury or death but remains hospitalized pending his recovery, Konvalin said. He is expected to be booked at the Yolo County Jail following his release.
“Barajas could face additional charges, including two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter,” Konvalin said.
Because of the remote location of the crash, investigators are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact the Woodland CHP office at (530) 662-4685.
— Reach Lauren Keene at [email protected] or (530) 747-8048. Follow her on Twitter @laurenkeene