Livermore

Police ID Suspect in Collision That Killed Mother, Infant Daughter in Livermore

A man suspected of driving a car while intoxicated and colliding into a mother and her infant daughter who both died on Saturday evening in Livermore has been identified as 35-year-old Brian Jones, police said.

Jones, a Livermore resident, was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, police said.

Preliminary tests indicate that Jones was driving with a 0.13 percent blood-alcohol content or higher, according to Officer Ryan Sanchez.

Officers responded to a report of a car that crashed into a structure in the 900 block of Murrieta Boulevard around 6:50 p.m., police Officer Ryan Sanchez said.

A preliminary investigation indicated that Jones was allegedly driving a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette at high speeds east on Murrieta Boulevard and lost control of the vehicle, Sanchez said.

The car left the roadway and struck a 40-year-old Seaside woman and her 14-month-old daughter who were walking on a paved path that stretches from a sidewalk to an apartment complex, he said.

The vehicle then struck two trees, crashed into the backyards of two apartments and came to rest at the rear of one of the units, according to Sanchez.

The mother and daughter were pronounced dead at the scene, Sanchez said.

Two boys, ages 6 and 7, in one of the two backyards were struck by debris from the crash and transported to hospitals for treatment of abrasions and complaint of pain, police said.

The boys are in stable condition, according to police.The victims' names have not been released "out of respect for the families," police said.

Jones was treated for injuries suffered in the incident and booked into county jail, according to police.

He was being held on $350,000 bail and scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday afternoon, according to jail records. He as since been released on bail.

Police closed Murrieta Boulevard between East Stanley Boulevard and Holmes Street until early Sunday morning to conduct an investigation.

"This is a horrific and unfortunate event and the Livermore Police Department offers its condolences to the families involved," police said.

Investigators believe Jones had been drinking at the Livermore Wine Country Festival prior to the crash, which occurred at roughly 6:50 p.m. Saturday in the 900 block of Murrieta Boulevard.

"We know that he was at the wine country festival, but we don't know what time he left," Sanchez said. "They stopped serving alcohol at 5 p.m. and the crash happened about an hour and 50 minutes later."

Sanchez said that the wine festival is permitted by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and vendors receive training about serving intoxicated individuals. Livermore police also maintain a presence at the festival, identifying visibly intoxicated people and helping them find
sober rides, according to Sanchez.

There are unanswered questions about when Jones stopped drinking and what he did after leaving the wine festival, according to Sanchez, but police will be looking into those questions as the investigation continues.

"With a crime of this magnitude we focus on the collision itself and then over time we branch out," Sanchez said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for funeral costs for the mother and baby.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has additional information about the events that led up to the fatal incident is asked to contact the Livermore Police Department at (925) 371-4777.

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