DUI Crash Kills Parents, Critically Injures Baby

ABC 30 reports on a driver that was reportedly under the influence of alcohol and marijuana when he crashed into another vehicle, killing a young couple and critically injuring their infant daughter.

Frankie Jose Rodriguez and Jessica Myers, both in their 20s, were driving along Avenue 9 westbound in their Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV when an Acura Legend traveling eastbound veered into their lane.

The driver of the Acura, 45-year-old Alvaro Martinez, slammed into the small SUV head-on.

Both Rodriguez and Myers were pronounced dead on the scene. Also inside the car was 1-year-old Ellie, who was critically injured. Neither Rodriguez or Myers were wearing seatbelts. It is also believed that Ellie may have been improperly restrained in her car seat.

Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, police noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from Martinez’s car.  An open container of alcohol was discovered as well as an amount of marijuana.

Martinez was critically injured in the crash as well and was taken to the Community Regional Medical Center. He was arrested on charges of felony driving under the influence but will remain in the hospital for treatment.

While recreational marijuana is legal in California, DUI laws still forbid driving while under the influence. A person that has marijuana in the car must have it in a sealed container and place it someplace out of reach, like the trunk. Many of the tests that prove a person has THC, one of the compounds found in marijuana, in their system are inadmissible in court. However, police testimony, such as an officer observing the symptoms that someone is under the influence and smelling the odor of marijuana can be used in court.

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