An accident in the early morning hours of Friday, February 14, has claimed the life of a 20-year-old man whose name is not being released until family has been notified.
The man was driving in the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 in his 2006 BMW sedan when he was rear-ended by a 2013 Honda Civic.
The California Highway Patrol has reported that this accident happened just north of Lake Boulevard in Redding, shortly after 1:00 a.m.
22-year-old Jecenia Hedrick of Anderson was the driver of the Honda Civic that rear-ended the BMW. She was taken from the accident site to a local hospital due to the severity of her injuries.
The BMW driver was pronounced dead at the crash site.
The California Highway Patrol has determined that at the time of the accident Hedrick was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
Despite the serious nature of her injuries, she has been placed under arrest. Her charges currently include felony DUI and manslaughter.
A felony DUI in California carries a prison sentence of up to three years and fines that can be as high as $1000. A mandatory ignition interlock device installation is required for a period of one year or else a person’s driver’s license could be suspended for up to four years.
Manslaughter is punishable with up to six years in prison, $10,000 in fines, and probation.
Police had the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 closed for close to four hours following the crash for clean-up and reconstruction.
The investigation into the accident is still ongoing.
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