Jessica Talamante Killed in National City Pedestrian Accident near East Plaza Boulevard and Harbison Avenue
National City, California (June 24, 2022) – 15-year-old Jessica Talamante was killed in an auto-pedestrian crash involving a driver suspected of drunk driving on Wednesday evening in National City, according to a local news source.
Jessica Talamante and an adult male, identified as Brian McKee, were both walking across East Plaza Boulevard when they were hit by a vehicle near Harbison Avenue.
The incident took place at about 10:20 p.m. on June 22.
The crash left Talamante deceased at the scene.
McKee succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
The driver of the vehicle, Tayishe Baltys, 43, was arrested on charges of DUI and vehicular manslaughter. She was booked into the Las Colinas women's jail and her bail set at $500,000.
The crash is under investigation.
Crash Fatalities in California Went Up in 2021, Early Federal Estimates Show
Newly released estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that fatalities caused by traffic crashes on U.S. freeways reached a 16-year high in 2021. The crash deaths also increased in almost every state, including California, according to NHTSA.
According to the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2021 report released by NHTSA, about 42,915 people were killed in traffic collisions in 2021 in the U.S. This shows a 10.5% increase from the 38,828 fatalities reported in 2020.
NHTSA says the projection is the highest number of traffic deaths since 2005 as well as the largest percentage rise in the history of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
In California, 4,258 people died in traffic collisions in 2021 – a 10.7 increase from 2020's 3,847, as per the NHTSA report titled – “Crash Stats: Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2021.”
According to the traffic deaths estimates, in the two-state region that includes Arizona and California, crash fatalities in 2021 are projected to go up by 10% over the previous year.
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