Elk Grove, CA – On the evening of Thursday, July 16, 2026, a suspected DUI head-on collision resulted in the death of a 78-year-old Elk Grove man, according to KCRA.
The Elk Grove Police Department reports that the accident took place around 9:15 PM on Elk Grove Boulevard near Stonelake Club Drive.
Authorities said the man was driving a white sedan eastbound on Elk Grove Boulevard approaching Stonelake Club Drive when a silver sedan traveling eastbound crossed into the westbound lane, struck the center median, went airborne, and collided head-on with his vehicle. He died at the scene.
The silver sedan came to rest overturned on its side in the center median. The white sedan sustained major damage to its roof, windshield, and driver’s side.
Investigators believe the driver of the silver sedan, a 51-year-old Sacramento woman, was fleeing from a hit-and-run crash that had occurred earlier that evening on Elk Grove Boulevard near Franklin Boulevard, approximately a half-mile from the fatal crash. Alcohol appears to have been a factor.
Both drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles. The woman was transported to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and may face charges as the investigation progresses and her medical condition improves.
The identities of both drivers had not been released at the time of reporting. The investigation remains ongoing.
California DUI Law
Section 23153(a) of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) states that it is illegal for any driver to “Operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs and, as a result, cause bodily injury to someone else.”
Elk Grove DUI Accidents and Wrongful Death Claims
California law prohibits driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and requires drivers involved in a collision to stop and remain at the scene. When an impaired driver flees the scene of one crash and then causes a second, fatal collision while attempting to evade responsibility, that driver faces both criminal prosecution and civil liability for the resulting death, and may be considered to have committed negligence per se, increasing her share of liability in the collision.
Regardless of the outcome of the criminal case, the victim’s family may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim. A wrongful death claim can provide the family with compensation for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of consortium, and other damages related to the fatal accident.
Elk Grove Wrongful Death Lawyer
If you or someone you love was harmed in an accident like the one described here, on Elk Grove Boulevard near Stonelake Club Drive, contact a California wrongful death lawyer for any questions or to receive a no-cost, no-obligation case assessment.
