Woman Accused Of Intentional Citrus Heights Crash Held For Mental Evaluation
CITRUS HEIGHTS (CBS13) — The initial court appearance was postponed for a 19-year-old woman accused in a deadly hit-and-run crash in Citrus Heights. According to her attorney, Christina Diaz is currently under a hold for a mental evaluation.
Diaz is facing a long list of charges including DUI with injury, assault with a deadly weapon, hit and run and vehicular manslaughter.
It was around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when police said she intentionally rammed a Dodge Van with her car on Greenback Lane near San Juan Avenue in Citrus Heights.
After striking the van, police say she lost control, swerved into oncoming traffic and hit a Mercedes-Benz killing the driver, 45-year-old Andrey Tagintsev of Citrus Heights.
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Terence Dyer is a barber at Cecil's Hair Salon, which sits across the street from where the accident occurred.
"I heard this loud boom. It sounded like somebody dropped a car out of the sky," he said, recounting Tuesday's crash.
Dyer said he witnessed people trying to help the injured in the aftermath.
"The first guy I saw, he actually looked inside of the car and backed up, so I knew something terrible had happened," he said.
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Police said Diaz tried running from the scene but was arrested shortly afterward. They said their specially trained drug recognition experts were able to determine on the scene that Diaz was under the influence of marijuana.
As for why they believe she intentionally hit the first car, Lt. David Guitierrez said the police do not think it was a road rage accident or that Diaz knew the occupants.
"So at this point what we do know is that the evidence on scene, which includes physical evidence and statements obtained by parties that were involved as well as witnesses, indicate that the initial act by the 19-year-old female colliding into the back of the first vehicle was an intentional act," Gutierrez said.
Diaz's arraignment is rescheduled for Friday at 1:30 p.m.