Last updated
By Ron McMinn, Esq. | Official sources rechecked November 9, 2026.
Read this article in Español.
A 72-year-old woman from Corona died after what Riverside police described as a hit-and-run DUI collision early on Thursday, November 5, 2026. A driver was found nearby and arrested. Our thoughts are with her family. Below is what has been reported, and what California law offers families after a crash like this.
What police reported
According to the Press-Enterprise, the crash was reported at 2:50 a.m. at Adams Street and California Avenue in Riverside. The woman died later that morning at a hospital, the Riverside County Coroner’s Office said. Police said the other driver was found about a half-mile away, at Adams Street and Arlington Avenue, and that officers observed signs and symptoms consistent with alcohol intoxication.
The 30-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, fleeing an accident scene, driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, and driving without a license, according to the county jail log cited by the Press-Enterprise, and was held in lieu of $60,000 bail. MyNewsLA also reported the arrest. Information about how the crash happened was not available.
These are allegations. An arrest is not a conviction, and the driver is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. We have not named him.
Leaving the scene is its own crime
Vehicle Code section 20001 requires a driver involved in a crash that injures or kills someone to stop immediately and fulfill the duties in sections 20003 and 20004, which include giving identifying information and rendering reasonable assistance. When the crash results in death or permanent, serious injury, the statute provides for state prison terms of two, three, or four years, or county jail, and fines. Our hit-and-run page explains more.
Criminal and civil cases are separate
The District Attorney decides whether to file charges. A family’s civil claim for money damages is a separate case, with its own deadlines and a lower burden of proof, and it does not have to wait for the criminal case to finish.
Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 lets certain family members, such as a spouse or children, bring a wrongful death claim when a death is caused by another person’s wrongful act or neglect. Section 335.1 generally sets a two-year deadline for those claims against private parties. If a public road or agency may share fault, a government claim is usually due within six months; see our County of Riverside claim guide.
Who may pay
The first source is usually the at-fault driver’s auto liability insurance, or a policy covering the vehicle he was driving, depending on its terms. Reports say he was arrested on suspicion of driving without a license, which does not by itself tell us whether any insurance applies.
If there is no applicable liability coverage, or not enough, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on the family’s own auto policy may help. Insurance Code section 11580.2 governs that coverage, and policies set notice requirements, so report the claim to your own insurer promptly. See our UM and UIM claims page.
Punitive damages are a separate question. Civil Code section 3294 allows them on clear and convincing evidence of malice, oppression, or fraud, and subdivision (d) allows them in a survival action based on a death from a homicide for which the defendant was convicted of a felony. Whether that applies here depends on how the criminal case ends. Our articles on DUI wrongful death and who pays, DUI punitive damages, and DUI hit-and-run wrongful death go deeper.
What families can do now
Get the Riverside Police Department report number and the coroner’s case information. Keep medical and funeral bills, and write down names of witnesses. Notify your own auto insurer. Be careful about recorded statements to the other driver’s insurer before you understand your rights. Ask a lawyer to send preservation letters for video and vehicle data.
See our Riverside page for more on serious injury and wrongful death cases in the Inland Empire.
Talk to us
If you were hurt in California and a city, county, transit agency, or the State may be involved, Win Attorneys handles government claims and personal injury matters statewide from our Tustin office. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
Call us at (562) 296-5380, reach us through our contact page, or start online with our intake form. Office: 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the Riverside crash on November 5, 2026?
Riverside police said a 72-year-old Corona woman was killed in a hit-and-run DUI collision reported at 2:50 a.m. at Adams Street and California Avenue. Officers found the other driver about a half-mile away, and he was arrested on suspicion of several offenses, according to the Press-Enterprise.
Has the driver been convicted?
No. Reports say he was arrested and booked on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, fleeing a crash scene, DUI causing great bodily injury, and driving without a license. An arrest is not a conviction, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Can a family bring a civil claim if the criminal case is still open?
Yes. The criminal case and a civil wrongful death claim are separate. Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 lets certain family members bring a wrongful death claim, and section 335.1 generally sets a two-year deadline.
What if the driver had no insurance?
An unlicensed driver may or may not be insured. If there is no applicable liability coverage, or not enough, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on a family member’s own auto policy may help, depending on its terms.
Are punitive damages possible after a fatal DUI crash?
Civil Code section 3294 allows punitive damages on clear and convincing evidence of malice, oppression, or fraud. Subdivision (d) allows them in a survival action based on a death from a homicide for which the defendant was convicted of a felony. Whether that applies depends on how the criminal case ends.