41-year-old James Watkins would need a drunk driving attorney’s services following his arrest for a fatal DUI accident in Petaluma, California. The incident which killed a 53-year-old male pedestrian occurred on Tuesday night, September 22nd.
According to the Petaluma Police Department, the Cotati resident drove a white 2011 Toyota Prius that went off the roadway at South McDowell Boulevard and Baywood Drive. The vehicle climbed a pavement and struck the victim who stood on a sidewalk.
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The police said that two off-duty officers and an off-duty nurse provided first aid to the man while waiting for the first responders to arrive. Medics took the victim to Petaluma Valley Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Watkins’ car landed in the middle of a roundabout, and he alighted from it, uninjured. Officers suspected that the man was drunk and took him to a local hospital to get tested. They placed him under arrest and remanded him at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.
The police charged him with felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter. They added that Watkins is currently facing separate DUI charges for a crash that occurred two years ago. The PPD will release the identity of the victim after notification of the next-of-kin.
Drunk driving is a traffic offense under the California Vehicle Code punishable with a short time in jail, fines, and administrative suspension of driver’s license. It becomes a severe offense when there’s a crash that leads to bodily harm or death, and the offender faces more lengthy jail time.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.