44-year-old Francisco Garcia-Vargas, of Fullerton, was arrested following the accident.
Fullerton, CA. – 28-year-old Alexander Marce, of Anaheim, died in a DUI collision that happened Wednesday night at an intersection in Fullerton, authorities said.
44-year-old Francisco Garcia-Vargas, of Fullerton, was arrested following the accident.
The Fullerton Police Department and other emergency personnel responded to Orangethorpe Avenue and Gilbert Street after they were notified of the deadly crash around 9:45 p.m.
Investigators said Marce was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Orangethorpe Avenue when he stopped for a red light at the intersection with Gilbert Street.
At the same time, Garcia-Vargas was driving a BMW east on Orangethorpe when he ran the red light and rear-ended the Harley-Davidson.
Marce was ejected from the motorcycle onto the ground.
The BMW dragged the bike under the front of the vehicle, and bystanders restricted the driver from leaving the scene until police arrived.
Marce was pronounced dead at the scene.
Garcia-Vargas was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving without a license, felony driving under the influence, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Authorities said around midnight, while police officers were still investigating the crash, a Tesla crashed into their patrol vehicle that was blocking traffic. The patrol car had its emergency lights on, and flares were placed in the roadway. The police car was unoccupied, and police officers at the scene were able to avoid the crash.
The driver of the Tesla told police officers that he had engaged the vehicle's ‘self-drive' mode while using his cell phone. The driver was not hurt and was not arrested. It was not clear if he was cited.
An investigation into the collision is ongoing.
Original Story
Fullerton, CA. – A motorcyclist was killed in a suspected DUI collision on Wednesday night in Fullerton.
The fatal motorcycle accident happened around 9:45 p.m. on Orangethorpe Avenue at Gilbert Street, according to the Fullerton Police Department.
A BMW was eastbound on Orangethorpe when it drove through the red light and rear-ended a motorcycle.
The rider was ejected from the bike and was pronounced dead at the accident scene.
The victim was not immediately identified.
The BMW driver, 44-year-old Francisco Garcia-Vargas, of Fullerton, was arrested on suspicion of driving without a license, felony driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
More details about the accident were not released.
An investigation into the accident is underway.
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