NEWARK — A driver who police say was responsible for a two-vehicle multiple injury crash that caused his car to hit a home Aug. 31 has been charged with multiple felonies, authorities said Friday.
According to police and court records, Raul Quintana, 31, of Newark, was driving a sedan at more than 100 mph with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit. He was charged with felony driving under the influence causing injury to another person and having a blood alcohol content of more than .08 percent .
Quintana, who was hospitalized after the crash, was formally charged Oct. 30 and arrested Wednesday. He was booked at Santa Rita Jail but there was no record of him being in custody Friday.
The collision, which left a total of five people injured, happened about 10:35 p.m. Aug. 31 at the intersection of Cedar Boulevard and Lafayette Avenue.
Quintana’s car collided with an SUV containing three people. The impact sent Quintana’s car to hit a residence in the 5000 block of Lafayette Avenue, police said.
The three occupants of the SUV — the 33-year-old man driving, who is a Newark resident, and two passengers, a 25-year-old Hayward man and a 32-year-old Tracy man — were all hospitalized and are recovering from their injuries. Following the impact, the sedan struck a residence in the 5000 block of Lafayette Avenue, causing minor injuries to a resident.
Police said in a release that from the beginning of the investigation, driving under the Influence was suspected to be a factor in the collision. Traffic investigators determined Quintana had been traveling at speeds exceeding 100 mph prior to the collision, with a blood-alcohol concentration nearly three times the legal limit.
He sustained serious injuries in the collision, requiring extensive hospitalization, and was not immediately arrested.
Police said in a release they wanted to thank and recognize the community members who arrived at the scene to render aid, as well as those who provided critical information to the investigators.
“This serious collision was completely preventable,” police Chief Jonathan Arguello said. “One person’s decision to drive under the influence nearly cost multiple lives. Impaired driving is never just a personal risk, it endangers everyone on the road.”
Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact Traffic Officer John Kapu at [email protected] or 510-578-4941. Anonymous tips can be submitted via the Anonymous Tip Hotline at 510-578-4965.
