JULY 19, 2009 - A 26-year-old Fontana woman was killed when the stalled car she was riding in was struck by a suspected drunk driver, authorities said. The car accident occurred about 2:30 a.m. alongside the 605 Freeway near Waddell Street. The unidentified victim was driving north in a 2000 Honda Civic when her vehicle struck a guard rail on the right shoulder and stalled, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver switched places with a passenger in the back seat just before their car was rear-ended by a 1991 Toyota Previa, authorities said. The victim was transported by ambulance to Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, where she was pronounced dead, officials said. Two passengers in the Honda, both 26-year-old women, were transported to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood with mild to moderate injuries, authorities said. The driver of the Previa, identified as 20-year-old Criselda Valderrama of Baldwin Park, was treated for moderate injuries at Presbyterian Intercommunity, and then arrested on suspicion of manslaughter while intoxicated, authorities said. Her bail was set at $25,000. The CHP is continuing to investigate the car collision.

View Larger Map