Multiple Road-Rage Crashes —1 Fatal — Caused By DUI Driver: CHP

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A young man from Santa Rosa is accused in multiple intentional crashes Saturday that left one person dead and at least two others injured.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the series of crashes and responded to the first— and most serious — collision shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday on Stony Point Road, south of Rohnert Park Expressway.

Officers quickly surmised that a road rage incident had occurred, CHP Officer David deRutte said.

The CHP's preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of a Mazda SUV was traveling southbound on Stony Point Road behind a Volkswagen SUV and began intentionally ramming the Volkswagen, CHP Officer David deRutte said.

The Volkswagen was pushed to the left into oncoming northbound traffic.

A Mercedes driver was traveling northbound on Stony Point Road and collided with the right side of the Volkswagen, fatally injuring the right front passenger of the Volkswagen, deRutte said.

The driver and child passenger suffered major injuries and were taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

The Mazda driver—who would later be identified as 20-year-old Diego Diaz-Hernandez — fled the scene of the fatal crash, deRutte said.

At 2:16 p.m. —12 minutes after the first crash — CHP officers were dispatched to a collision on southbound U.S. Highway 101, south of Pepper Road.

"Similarly to the previous crash, it was reported that the suspect vehicle had repeatedly rammed a vehicle at that location," deRutte said.

The Mazda SUV was no longer operable and was still at the scene.

Diaz-Hernandez tried to leave the scene but was arrested on the spot, deRutte said.

The CHP determined Diaz-Hernandez intentionally caused both crashes.

It was alleged Diaz-Hernandez also caused a Toyota Camry to run off the road and overturn shortly before 1 p.m. on state Highway 12 at Stony Point Road. No injuries were reported in the SR-12 crash.

The Cotati Police Department was investigating another two crashes Diaz-Hernandez was potentially involved in earlier Saturday.

Officers believe Diaz-Herndandez was under the influence.

He was booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of multiple charges, including murder, felony DUI and assault with a deadly weapon, deRutte said.

Jail records Tuesday showed Diaz-Hernandez remained in custody without bail. The arrest charges were listed as six counts of assault with a deadly weapon, DUI causing injury, great bodily injury and great bodily injury of a child, violation of probation, hit and run, reckless driving and assault likely to cause great bodily injury.