My News LA reports that a 19-year-old man was arrested for his role in a DUI crash that ended the life of a 25-year-old man in Desert Hot Springs on Saturday, April 9th.
A spokesperson for the Desert Hot Springs Police Department said in a statement that the fatal driver of a Ford Ranger pickup truck was heading southbound on Palm Drive.
At approximately 8:15 p.m. in the 14000 block of the street, the driver, 19-year-old Christopher Burciaga of Desert Hot Springs, made an illegal U-turn and into the path of a Toyota Tundra. The force of the impact caused a tripped rollover crash of the Toyota.
Burciaga fled the scene of the crash and failed to render aid to the victim in the other vehicle.
Police, firefighters, and paramedics responded to the scene of the crash. A 25-year-old man who was the sole occupant of the Toyota was declared dead at the scene.
Desert Hot Springs Police officers located Burciaga at his residence a short distance away from the crash scene. Officers determined that Burciaga had been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fatal crash and placed him under arrest.
Burciaga was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol, hit-and-run from a crash resulting in death, and driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury.
Burciaga is currently in custody on a $75,000 bond.
