PRUNEDALE – The California Highway Patrol has arrested 26-year-old Diego Rodriguez after a lengthy investigation into a May 6 driving under the Influence related crash on Castroville Boulevard that caused the death of one of his passengers, a young man from Salinas. Rodriguez is from Oxnard, in Ventura County.
Investigators from the Highway Patrol theorized that Rodriguez, along with the two others in the car, had been drinking at a friend’s house earlier that evening. Rodriguez himself suffered a broken arm in the crash, among other injuries. Both he and the other passenger were transported Natividad Medical Center in Salinas for treatment.
According to the CHP, a 1999 black Acura 3.0 TL driven by Rodriguez was traveling eastbound on Castroville Boulevard just west of Manzanita Park when for some unknown reason the vehicle left the roadway. Rodriguez tried to regain control but was not able to, and the vehicle skidded across Castroville Boulevard. The vehicle then struck a tree on the north side of the roadway.
This action caused fatal injuries to the rear passenger, a 26-year-old man from Salinas. The collision also caused injuries to the other passenger, 21-year-old Oscar Barron from Cloverdale, along with Rodriguez.
“Rodriguez is looking at two felony charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol that caused injuries,” California Highway Patrol Spokesperson Jaime Rios stated.
Barron is recovering at Natividad Medical Center from spinal cord fractures. The CHP have ruled out the weather as being a factor in the crash as it was clear and dry on that night.
