CHP: Driver high on marijuana in fatal Highway 180 collision
A 23-year-old Fresno woman was booked on charges of being under the influence after a fatal collision on Highway 180 in central Fresno, the California Highway Patrol reported Tuesday.
The CHP said Andrea Zapien was suspected of being under the influence of marijuana in the crash Monday night in the eastbound lanes of 180 just west of the Highway 41 interchange.
The arrest was the fourth recent fatal DUI arrest in which the CHP cited marijuana or other drugs as the possible cause of the crash.
Monday’s incident took place just before 10 p.m., after the victim was involved in a one-car crash and his 1991 Mazda Miata was damaged. The Mazda was partially blocking the center and right lanes when he stepped out and was struck by a 2003 Ford Escape driven by Zapien.
The victim, described as a pedestrian by the CHP because he was on foot at the time of impact, died at the scene. He was identified Tuesday by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office as Xavier Olivares, 20, of Fresno.
Zapien faces misdemeanor charges of DUI and driving without a license, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday. She was issued a citation and released from jail early Tuesday.
Last week, Silvia Gonzales, 42, of Tranquillity, was arrested on felony DUI and other charges after a head-on collision in which two people, Nicholas Flocchini, 79, and Janie Flocchini, 75, of Tranquillity were killed. The fiery crash took place at Colorado Road and Sumner Avenue.
In late September, Andre Hill Jr., 31, of Maryland was arrested by the CHP after driver Olivia Mendoza, 19, was killed when she was struck by a big rig driven by Hill. However, prosecutors declined to charge Hill on the marijuana count, although he still faces a manslaughter charge.
On Oct. 22, Korina Machuca, 21, was arrested by the CHP after a bicyclist was killed when he was reportedly struck by Machuca’s Nissan on Cherry Avenue south of North Avenue. The victim died at the scene and the CHP officer reported detecting the smell of marijuana from Machuca’s car.
Unlike alcohol, the CHP does not have a roadside breathalyzer to test for marijuana intoxication, and relies on drug recognition experts to determine a driver’s sobriety in suspected drug impairment cases.
This story was originally published November 12, 2019 at 11:21 AM.