Suspected drunk driver arrested after fatal Bradenton crash on Cortez Road, police say
A suspected drunk driver was arrested after police say he ran a red light at high speed, causing a fatal crash in Bradenton on Saturday night.
The Bradenton Police Department says Cesar Navarrete, 25, was speeding in the westbound lanes of Cortez Road at around 10:40 p.m. Saturday night in his Nissan Altima when he ran a red light, causing him to crash into the passenger side of a Chevrolet Equinox turning northbound on 43rd Street W.
The passenger in the Equinox, 37-year-old Sara Holmes, was taken to a nearby trauma center, where police say she died Sunday morning.
The 36-year-old driver of the Chevrolet Equinox, who was not named by police, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Navarrete and an unnamed passenger in the Altima were also injured, according to a news release.
Police arrested Navarrete Sunday an outstanding warrant for driving with a suspended license, according to a news release. Investigators said at the time they suspected Navarrete was impaired during the crash and conducted a DUI investigation.
Bradenton police announced Monday evening that the DUI investigation found Navarrete had a blood alcohol concentration of .289. Police say Navarrete now faces a second-degree felony DUI manslaughter charge and driving while license suspended causing death or serious bodily injury, which is a third-degree felony.
