A 9-year-old girl was transported to a hospital with major injuries, authorities say
FRESNO, CA, (January 04, 2025) - A woman was killed and several others injured, including a nine-year-old girl, in a suspected DUI crash Saturday evening in Fresno County, authorities said.
Saul Galvez Diaz was allegedly drunk when he crashed his vehicle into another car, fatally injuring his passenger and sending multiple others to the hospital, officials said, adding the incident happened at the intersection of Floral and Willow avenu
According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident occurred at Floral and Willow avenues, west of Selma.
A preliminary investigation found a vehicle was traveling east on Floral around 8:30 p.m. when its driver—Saul Galvez Diaz—crossed the center line to make a left turn and, in the process, crashed head-on into a Nissan heading westbound. A female passenger in 24-year-old Diaz's car sustained fatal injuries, while the girl in the back seat was taken to a hospital with major injuries. Two occupants of the Nissan were taken to a hospital with moderate injuries, per CHP.
Diaz was also hurt in the wreck, according to officials. He was later arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
The investigation is underway.
CRASH INVESTIGATION NEEDED
Impaired drivers are a risk to everyone on the road and can senselessly ruin people's lives.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every 39 minutes. In 2021, 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths — a 14% increase from 2020. In 2020, about 338,000 people were injured in a drunk driving crash.
“Road conditions, visibility, and lighting are all possible contributing factors considered and examined,” said Candice Bond, an experienced auto accident attorney and Managing Partner with Bond Legal.
“An accident reconstruction team is sometimes needed to help piece together what happened. All of these resources are necessary for helping clients receive monetary compensation for damages or a loss following a collision,” said Bond.
PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM
The victims injured in the crash may have the right to pursue a personal injury claim pending an investigation.
Bond, a national legal analyst for Newsline, said, “Injured victims involved in a collision often seek a personal injury claim to cover the cost of medical bills, future medical care, loss of income, emotional trauma, and pain and suffering.
“Insurance companies can be notoriously unconcerned with the mounting costs that an injured party may accrue. An attorney can help. We protect the victims of these tragedies daily, forcing the insurance companies to pay for their mistakes,” she added.
If you, a friend, or a family member have been injured at the hands of a hit-and-run or drunken driver, contact our national legal analyst Candice Bond for a free consultation for guidance.
(Candice Bond, our national legal analyst, is a Managing Partner at Bond Legal. Newsline can and does use quotes from prior interviews with our analysts for our news articles. If you would like to contact Bond Legal to help you, please call 866-985-6515 or use the submission box found on this page. Legal analysts quoted may or may not be licensed in your state).