Deputies arrested a woman suspected of driving under the influence in a head-on collision that left an 88-year-old man dead in Dana Point, officials announced Saturday.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said deputies responded to reports of the crash at the intersection of Golden Lantern Street and Stonehill Drive around 6:15 p.m. on Friday.
Deputies arrived to find that a Land Rover SUV crashed head-on into a Ford Transit van.
The preliminary investigation showed that the driver of the Land Rover, 48-year-old Serene Francie Rosenberg of Dana Point, was heading westbound on Stonehill Drive and turned left against a red arrow signal in front of the Ford Transit van traveling eastbound on Stonehill Drive.
A passenger of the Transit van died upon impact in the head-on crash. Officials identified the victim as Melvin Joseph Weibel, 88, of Dana Point.
Responding deputies declared Weibel dead at the scene, and found that the driver had sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver, who was not publicly identified, was taken to a local hospital.
Officers arrested Rosenberg on suspicion of driving under the influence with three prior convictions and booked her into the Orange County Jail for murder, a DUI causing injury.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) is investigating the collision and asked anyone who may have additional details to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Traffic Bureau at 949-425-1860.
Anonymous information may be provided through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
