JULY 13, 2009 - A woman was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after her 11-year-old nephew was critically injured in a car crash and died two days later, authorities said. Thomas Botello of Thousand Oaks was riding in a sports utility vehicle about 1 p.m. when the accident occurred at the intersection of Las Posas and Laguna roads, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver of the SUV, identified as 45-year-old Page Germain of Huntington Beach, stopped at a stop sign at the intersection, then continued west on Laguna through Los Posas, the CHP said. Traffic on Los Posas is not required to stop at the intersection, and a pickup truck driven by 23-year-old Edgar Espinoza of Camarillo slammed into the right side of Germain’s vehicle, authorities said. Botello, who was seat belted into the right rear passenger seat, was airlifted to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard and then transferred to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where he died July 6, authorities said. Germain was arrested following the collision on suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription medication, then released to the hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. A passenger in the truck suffered minor injuries, but the driver and another occupant were uninjured. The CHP is continuing its investigation into the accident.

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