Police Identify Man Killed In Suspected DUI Collision

WATSONVILLE - A man killed in a collision involving a suspected DUI driver early Saturday morning in Watsonville has been identified as 44-year-old Jesus Campos Banderas, police said Thursday.

Diego Sanchez, 22, has been arrested in connection with the collision reported around 12:30 a.m. Saturday at Main Street and East Lake Avenue between a Honda Accord and Ford truck, Watsonville police said.

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Sanchez was driving the Honda west on East Lake Avenue and Banderas was driving the Ford on northbound Main Street before the collision, according to police. Officers responded to the crash and found Banderas, who was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency crews, police said.

Banderas’ female passenger was airlifted to a trauma center for injuries that were initially considered life-threatening.

As of Thursday morning, she remained in an intensive care unit in stable condition, according to police.

Officers searched for Sanchez and a witness reported that he fled the scene on foot, police said. They found him hours later at his home and airlifted him to a trauma center for serious injuries, according to police.

Sanchez was then booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run with death or serious bodily injury, and DUI causing serious bodily injury, police said.

Anyone with information on the collision is asked to call police at (831) 471-1151 or a crime tip line at (831) 728-3544.

-Bay City News, images via Shutterstock; Watsonville PD