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Authorities: Culbertson sober at time of fatal crash

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Sonoma Valley Sun

California Highway Patrol officials announced that Steven Culbertson, the 19 -year-old driver of a car that killed all four members of the Maloney family in an accident on Highway 37 last month, did not have any alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.

Culbertson crashed into a number of cars on Lakeville Road before speeding through a red light at the intersection and colliding with the Nissan Quest carrying the Maloney family.

John Maloney, 45, his wife Susan, 42 and their children Aiden, 8, and Grace 5, were all killed in the crash. Culbertson was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital but died later that weekend.

CHP Officer John Sloat said that his office fully expected the report to come back as a DUI and are left wondering why Culbertson was driving like that sober.

The CHP has reported that as Culbertson approached Highway 37 southbound on Lakeville, he came upon a Honda CRV stopped for a red light. The Mini, speeding at what witnesses estimated was 70 to 90 mph, clipped the back of that car and flew into the intersection against the light at about 9:20 p.m. Nov. 28, hitting the Maloney’s vehicle.

Sloat said it appears Culbertson didn’t try to slow before running the red light. No skid marks were at the scene.

Besides an arrest for drunken driving in a 2007 Lake County crash when he was 17, Culbertson had no further driving infractions, according to the CHP.




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