A 43-year-old Colorado man who may have had experience as a volunteer firefighter in Los Angeles County has been arrested on suspicion of DUI and second-degree murder after a fatal collision in Dana Point, authorities said.
Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded to a traffic collision with injuries near Coast Highway and Palisades Drive in Dana Point at around 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5.
Deputies found an injured adult man in his 50s lying in the roadway who was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead. His identity is not being released at this time.
A preliminary investigation found that the victim’s vehicle, a 1999 Plymouth, was rear-ended by a 2019 BMW. Deputies found that both vehicles were traveling southbound on Coast Highway when the crash happened.
The Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that the suspect was initially arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence while causing injury, but a second-degree murder charge was later added.
The crash is being investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Major Accident Investigation Team.
