Driver arrested after fleeing California crash that killed child, injured 4 other passengers
CONCORD, Calif. (AP) — Authorities on Wednesday arrested the driver who fled the scene of a solo car crash on a San Francisco Bay Area highway that killed a 9-year-old girl and injured four other passengers over the weekend.
The 22-year-old man faces charges including manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and child abuse, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. His bail was set at $200,000.
The Mazda CX-9 was heading north on Interstate 680 in Concord around 5:15 a.m. Sunday when it veered off the road and flipped over several times before landing on its roof, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The occupants were ejected from the car. The girl died at the scene and four female passengers were hospitalized. As of Monday night, all were in stable condition and expected to survive, the highway patrol said.
The Mazda’s driver ran away before first responders arrived. His relationship to the passengers in the vehicle wasn’t known Wednesday.
Authorities believe most of the passengers were not wearing seatbelts. The cause of the crash, about 30 miles (48 km) northeast of San Francisco, was under investigation.