Highway Patrol

Mother Charged with DUI in PCH Crash That Killed 7-Year-Old Boy

The woman's car struck a tree while driving on the Pacific Coast Highway

A woman has been charged with driving while intoxicated after a crash on the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County that killed a 7-year-old boy and hospitalized at least three others, officials said. 

Latoya Najar, 34, of Camarillo faces four felony charges in the Wednesday evening crash: one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, two counts of DUI causing injury and one count of child endangerment. 

Najar was allegedly driving north on PCH near Point Mugu when the car left the road and hit a tree, the California Highway Patrol said. 

The car was equipped with four seatbelts but there may have been five passengers, the CHP said. The boy who died was not wearing a seatbelt. 

A 33-year-old female passenger had multiple fractures and facial wounds in the crash. Two other children of Najar’s were in the vehicle, including a 12-year-old boy who suffered a broken arm, the CHP said.

The crash shut down a stretch of the highway.
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