At the end of May, a vehicle crashed into a store. There were several collisions, including one fatal accident, which resulted in a man dying at the scene. The driver was arrested last week. (Sage Alexander/Times-Standard)
Last week, Eureka police arrested a suspect in connection with a fatal traffic crash on I Street in May.
Maria Cuevas, a 30-year-old from Eureka, turned herself in to Eureka police last week and was arraigned Monday on a series of charges filed by the Humboldt County District Attorney.
In a lawsuit, District Attorney Stacey Eads alleged that Cuevas committed involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol, resulting in the death of 66-year-old David Wayne Sprauge of Eureka. The lawsuit also includes three other offenses – two counts of driving while under the influence of alcohol causing personal injury, hit-and-run and a minor offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol five days before the crash.
In a press release Monday, Eureka police claimed that Cuevas admitted to using nitrous oxide immediately before the series of accidents that left one man dead.
At Monday’s arraignment, Cuevas pleaded not guilty and denied special charges, according to court records. She is represented by a public defender. The special charges include fleeing the scene of a crime, paralysis and aggravated assault, according to the indictment. Cuevas has been in the Humboldt County Jail since her arrest on July 2. Her bail was set at $180,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 18, according to court information.
The May 22 accident was a confusing scene. A car allegedly struck a pedestrian and continued down I Street. Bystanders quickly attempted to revive the pedestrian, Sprague, by taking turns performing CPR until emergency responders arrived. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Further down the street, the same car caused a multi-vehicle crash involving five vehicles. Several people were injured and at least two were taken to the hospital. One car eventually crashed into a building at the corner of I and 7th Streets. The prosecutor’s complaint details a special charge of injury to Sprague, which left him in a coma due to a brain injury. Another charge involves causing great bodily harm to another person injured in the accident.
No suspect was arrested at the scene of the accident. In an email, Laura Montagna, a spokeswoman for Eureka police, said Cuevas was hospitalized after the incident and a warrant had to be obtained when asked about the delay in the arrest.
“This takes time. She actually turned herself in,” she wrote in the email.
The department is still investigating the incident. The California Highway Patrol is working with a multidisciplinary accident investigation team from Redding to determine whether mechanical failure was involved. Montagna said those investigations could take months.
EPD asks anyone with information about the accident to contact Criminal Investigation at 707-441-4300.
According to court records, Cuevas was convicted of child endangerment in 2023. Her sentence was 180 days in prison.
You can reach Sage Alexander at 707-441-0504.
