A multi-vehicle crash blamed on a drugged driver in Santa Ana claimed the life of a San Jose woman who was walking nearby on Thursday, authorities said.
A three-vehicle crash blamed on an allegedly intoxicated driver claimed the life of a pedestrian at 15th and Main streets in Santa Ana on Dec. 6, 2018. (Credit: Santa Ana Police Department)
The crash took place just before 10 a.m. at 15th and Main streets, the Santa Ana Police Department said in a written statement.
The victim’s name was not released pending notification of family, police said. She was initially described as a 31-year-old San Jose woman.
A Chevrolet Malibu, a Ford Ranger pickup truck and a Mercedes-Benz were involved in the collision.
The driver of the Malibu, identified as 45-year-old Geoffrey William Bicking of Buena Park, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, police said.
Geoffrey William Bicking, 45, of Buena Park, pictured in a photo released by the Santa Ana Police Department following his arrest on Dec. 6, 2018.
A video obtained by investigators depicts the deadly crash, officials said. It shows the Malibu traveling south on Main Street at “an unsafe speed” before hitting the left, rear bumper of a Ford Ranger, according to the police statement.
The impact sent the Ranger careening onto the sidewalk, where it struck the woman, authorities said.
The Malibu also ended up veering toward the sidewalk and struck a tree, officials said. The Ranger continued forward and struck a stopped Mercedes-Benz.
Paramedics took the severely injured pedestrian to a hospital for treatment, but she could not be saved, police said. The others involved in the crash declined medical treatment.
Bicking “displayed objective symptoms of narcotic use and assessment of his impairment revealed he was driving while under the influence of drugs,” the police statement said. Additional criminal charges, such as manslaughter, could be filed later.