CBS Local San Francisco reports that one person is dead and two are hurt following a crash near Sonoma.
The accident occurred at about 12:20 p.m. on Sunday just outside of the city of Sonoma according to the California Highway Patrol.
36-year-old Abdulhadi Awad was driving a gray BMW south on Eighth Street East and ran a traffic signal at the intersection with Napa Road. He collided with a silver 2013 Subaru driven by an unnamed 35-year-old Sausalito man.
The driver of the Subaru died at the scene. Also in his car was 34-year-old Natalie Weiss. She suffered from major injuries and was admitted to Queen of the Valley Hospital.
Awad suffered from moderate injuries and was taken to the hospital. He was also placed under arrest on suspicion of felony driving under the influence.
If a person is caught driving while intoxicated, the DUI charge is normally a misdemeanor. However, an accident can mean that the prosecutor will seek out heavier penalties. Simply put, how serious the charges can be will depend on the severity of the accident.
If the accident involved only property damage and no injuries, chances are the driver will just face DUI charges. In a case where there are minor injuries, including any passengers, the prosecutor may choose to charge the person with misdemeanor DUI Causing Injury. In an accident with serious injuries, the driver will most likely be charged with felony DUI Causing Injury.
