Man charged for suspected DUI crash that left one dead
A 34-year-old man was charged today with murder for allegedly driving drunk and causing a crash that killed one person and injured another.
Austin George Jackson of Whitewater was also charged with driving under the influence causing great bodily injury. The charges include enhancements such as engaging in violent conduct and having a concurrent sentence on other crimes.
Jackson has a previous out-of-state arrest related to DUI, according to the Palm Springs Police Department. He is slated to be arraigned at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Thursday afternoon.
The crash occurred around 1:30 a.m. Sunday on Highway 111 north of Gateway Drive in Palm Springs, according to authorities.
Police said Jackson rear-ended another vehicle at high speed. The crash killed a passenger in the other vehicle, identified as 56-year-old Gabriel Casiano Martinez of Gardena. The 55-year-old female driver of the other vehicle was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Jackson was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital following the crash, according to authorities, and was then booked into jail at the John J. Benoit Center, where he remains held in lieu of $2 million bail.
