Arizona Woman Hospitalized After Suspected Santa Cruz Co. DUI Crash Dies

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — A 27-year-old Arizona woman was taken off life support Friday night, five days after a suspected DUI crash in the Santa Cruz Mountains left her critically injured, California Highway Patrol officers said Monday. Hannah Milkowski, a Scottsdale Community College nursing student, was the sole passenger in a Land Rover driven by 38-year-old Kristopher Benson, who was released on bail the morning after the June 4 crash. Milkowski was not wearing her seatbelt when Benson made a slight left on Bean Creek Road, striking a power pole with the right side of the Land Rover, just past Morgan's Run outside Scotts Valley.

Benson tried to drive to a medical facility to get help for Milkowski, heading south on state Highway 17, and then speeding down state Highway 1 with a damaged right tire. The Land Rover traveled onto the center island and became disabled on the sweeping right curve of the Soquel Avenue off-ramp in Live Oak, CHP
officers said.

CHP officers and paramedics provided first aid, transporting Milkowski to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Benson, who was wearing a seatbelt, was treated for minor injuries at VMC before being
arrested on suspicion of felony DUI. A second arrest warrant has been obtained for Benson since he was released on bail, CHP officers said Monday afternoon.

According to her Facebook profile, Milkowski had been studying nursing at Scottsdale since 2014 and worked as a pharmacy tech at CVS/pharmacy. On May 9, Milkowski posted, "Flight booked, off to Cali to visit
my lovely Kris Benson and go surfing! Hard work does pay off!!"

By Bay City News

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