Tulare man, 18, faces murder charge after suspected DUI crash kills woman

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A police chase with a suspected drunk driver in Tulare ended with a deadly crash Sunday afternoon, the Tulare Police Department said.

Police received reports of a possible drunk driver around 12:30 p.m. after a witness saw a man stumbling into his car. Investigators said when officers attempted to pull over the driver near North Oaks Avenue, the car ran a stop sign and sped off.

Still trying to elude police, the driver, identified as 18-year-old Jace Freitas, drove through a red light on J Street and collided into a Nissan Altima with four people inside.

Police say Freitas continued driving after the crash but later pulled over and surrendered to authorities.

The 50-year-old female driver of the Nissan was rushed to a hospital where she later died. The other three passengers in the Nissan were also hospitalized with unknown injuries. Freitas was not hurt in the crash.

Freitas was booked into the Tulare County jail and faces several felony charges, including murder.