The Lake Elsinore community is mourning the tragic loss of 44-year-old Gladys Cruz Maeda, who was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver early Sunday morning on Interstate 215 in Murrieta.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the fatal incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on July 20 as Maeda was traveling southbound on I-215, just north of Murrieta Hot Springs Road. She had stopped her 2014 Nissan Murano to inspect damage after colliding with a water-filled traffic control barrier in a construction zone.
While outside her vehicle, Maeda was struck by a 2004 Honda Accord that entered the construction area and crashed into her SUV. Officer Russ Robertson of the CHP stated that the male driver fled the scene immediately after the collision.
Emergency personnel from Murrieta Fire & Rescue responded within minutes, but Maeda was pronounced dead at the scene. A male passenger in her vehicle was unharmed.
Following an investigation, CHP officers were able to identify the vehicle and suspect involved in the hit-and-run. Later that day, an arrest warrant was executed at the suspect’s home. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony hit-and-run.
The name of the suspect has not yet been released, and details regarding bail remain unavailable.
Gladys Cruz Maeda’s sudden and heartbreaking death has sent waves of grief through her family and community. Loved ones remember her as a kind-hearted and generous woman, and her loss is deeply felt by all who knew her. Funeral arrangements and memorial details will be shared by the family in the coming days.
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