Congressional Candidate's Wife Involved in Deadly Car Crash
The wife of Abel Maldonado, a GOP congressional candidate in California challenging Rep. Lois Capps, was involved in a fatal car crash on Monday afternoon that left a man dead after he ran a stop sign, according to the Maldonado campaign and a California Highway Patrol report.
Laura Maldonado and their son, who were in a 2008 Cadillac Escalade, suffered only minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital as as precaution. They were released Monday evening, Maldonado said in a statement.
The unidentified 30-year old driving the other vehicle, a 1985 Honda Accord, died at the scene, according to the CHP. The Honda ran a stop sign and was struck by the Cadillac on the left side, as both cars ended up in a irrigation canal.
The CHP said it is unknown yet if alcohol or drugs played a role, pending a toxicology report. The incident report is timestamped at 4:10 p.m.
Maldonado, a former California lieutenant governor who is challenging Capps in a redrawn seat, said that after the "terrible car accident his family's thoughts are with the victims' relatives.
"Our deepest condolences and sympathies are with the family of the victim. There are no words that can lift the burden of grief and sorrow his family and friends are experiencing right now," he said in a statement.
