A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drunken vehicular manslaughter after a serious crash in Redding over the weekend left one person dead, police said.
The fatal accident was reported around 12:15 a.m. Sunday on Buenaventura Boulevard near Teton Drive.
When officers arrived, they found a vehicle in the middle of the roadway fully engulfed in flames, Redding police said on their Facebook page. Firefighters, who were also called to the scene, quickly extinguished the flames.
According to investigators, a passenger in the vehicle was ejected and taken to the hospital, where he later died, police said.
Police did not release the victim's name.
The other passenger, Hunter Alexander, 20, of Anderson, was uninjured and released, police said.
The driver, Christian Bennett, 19, of Redding, was arrested, police said. Bennett also allegedly drove without a license.
Bennett is being held on $500,000 bail, the Shasta County Jail website said Monday morning.
The crash remains under investigation.
David Benda covers business, development and everything else going on for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly column “Buzz on the Street.” He is part of a team of dedicated reporters who investigate grievances, break news and tell other stories about your community. You can reach him at X, formerly Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or call 530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, subscribe today.
