A man suspected of being the driver of a car that killed one and injured two Saturday night in Richmond has been identified Sunday as 20-year-old Epigmenio Perez, police said.
Perez, a Richmond resident, was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while under the influence, Richmond police Lt. Andre Hill said.
The victim who died in the crash was identified as 24-year-old Anthony Nguyen of San Pablo, Hill said.
Police pursued Perez who allegedly drove a black Chevrolet Corvette recklessly in a residential neighborhood shortly before 9:30 p.m., Richmond police Capt. Bisa French said.
The pursuit lasted a couple of minutes and when the vehicle turned on 23rd Street, officers lost sight of the vehicle. A short time later, more officers arrived and found the Corvette had crashed into a vehicle with three people inside at 24th Street and Gaynor Avenue, French said.
Nguyen was a passenger in the other car and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The driver and another passenger were taken to a hospital for critical injuries, police said. One of the two injured has life-threatening injuries, Richmond police Lt. C. Whitney said.
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An update on their conditions was not immediately available this afternoon.
Early this morning police said they were unsure whether one of the injured people was in the victim vehicle, the suspect vehicle or a pedestrian. Whitney said police have determined that all the injured persons were in the victim vehicle.
Perez allegedly fled the crash site on foot, contacted police a short time later and claimed to be a carjacking victim, but investigators were able to link him to the pursuit and crash, Hill said.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Richmond Police Department's homicide unit, the California Highway Patrol and the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
