Two families and the sheriff's office are devastated since a crash killed a 3-year-old boy Friday in San Ramon, an Alameda County sheriff's spokesman said Sunday.
Elijah Dunn died in a crash on northbound Interstate 680 around 6:20 p.m. and a woman married to an Alameda County sheriff's deputy was arrested on suspicion of DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter.
Alameda County sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly would not release the name of the deputy but said sheriff's officials are thinking about both families.
"We're devastated," Kelly said. "We're sad. This is horrible. Tragic. Many of us are parents. This hits very close to home."
California Highway Patrol officers arrested 39-year-old Pleasanton resident Yarenit Liliana Malihan after the crash on I-680 near Bollinger Canyon Road.
A black 2007 Toyota Camry with three children and their mother inside was parked on the shoulder of the highway when Malihan's white 2008 Toyota Sequoia crashed into the back of it, CHP officials said.
The children including Elijah, his 1-year-old sister and his 11-year-old brother were taken to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. Elijah died at the hospital, according to CHP officials.
The children's mother was taken to John Muir Medical Center with major injuries.
Investigators concluded the small children in the Camry were secured in child safety seats and the other occupants were wearing seatbelts, CHP officials said.
Malihan was treated for minor injuries at San Ramon Regional Medical Center and booked into the county jail.
Kelly said sheriff's officials are making sure the deputy's family has the support they need such as counseling and peer support as deputies send out their thoughts to the boy's family.
"We're thinking of them and we will as we move forward," Kelly said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Elijah's family with living expenses, loss of income and the financial burdens of Elijah's death. The page can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/elijah-dunn.
About $24,400 had been donated as of 10:45 p.m. Sunday.
Comments
Registered user
Old Towne
on Sep 12, 2016 at 9:58 am
Registered user
on Sep 12, 2016 at 9:58 am
Please don't forgive so easy.... DUI wow... keep her behind bars.[removed]
Registered user
Vineyard Avenue
on Sep 12, 2016 at 11:23 am
Registered user
on Sep 12, 2016 at 11:23 am
We have technology right in our own backyard that can do anything..Why, why do we not have a device installed in vehicles that will require everyone to blow into the device and the car not start until we do???? why???? The billions spent on phones and gadgets and crap...A drunk person behind the wheel is carrying a loaded gun. This needs to stop!!!!!
Registered user
another community
on Sep 12, 2016 at 10:56 pm
Registered user
on Sep 12, 2016 at 10:56 pm
KW:
What needs to be done is stiffer penalties including impounding of the vehicle for a period of time. Remember liberals, more people die at the hands of a DUI driver then they do of a person with a gun, but society will never come down hard on DUI drivers.
Registered user
Downtown
on Sep 13, 2016 at 2:07 pm
Registered user
on Sep 13, 2016 at 2:07 pm
This same person was driving on a provisional license from a previous DUI on August 23?? are you kidding me, what's it take to get theses "killers" off the road?? Things need to be changed, maybe hold the lawyers and judges responsible.