Hit and Run Automobile Accident Ends in Fatality in Fresno

November 22, 2014- A drunk driving car collision killed two people in Fresno.  The SUV hit and run accident took place on Saturday, at about 11:20 PM.

The intoxicated driver, Rafael Arce Pedroza, was traveling on Chestnut Avenue, in an Suzuki SUV, at a high rate of speed.  At the same time a Nissan Pathfinder was stopped on Chestnut, at the intersection of Jensen Avenue.

The Pathfinder, which was driven by Jacqueline Rivera, was waiting in the right-hand lane, for the light to turn green.  Rivera was in the car with her husband Jose Chavez, their son and daughter; Jose and Aaliyah, and their son's girlfriend; Savanni Ung.

The Suzuki smashed into the back of the Nissan while it was stopped at the traffic signal.  The impact caused the Pathfinder to overturn three times.  It came to rest after it hit a light pole.  The vehicle then caught fire from a ruptured gas tank.

Jose Chavez, his son, and the girlfriend were able to escape the burning car.  They were injured and taken to Community Regional Medical Center, in Fresno.

Jacqueline Rivera, and Aaliyah, 11 years of age, who were reported to have been unconscious, were not rescued in time.  They were both pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

After the crash, Pedroza ran away on foot into an apartment complex.  He was later found by officers, in his place of residence.  He was arrested, and then taken to the hospital for treatment of his wounds.

Pedroza faces multiple charges, including vehicular manslaughter and DUI.

I am a personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, serving the central valley. Please give me a call, Attorney John Rozier  559-713-0159 or www.nelsonrozier.com.  My office is located in Visalia, on Caldwell Avenue.