Redding man arrested after drunk driving accident that kills passenger

REDDING, California — A Redding man was arrested early Sunday morning following a fatal accident while driving while under the influence.

The Redding Police Department (RPD) said officers were called to a crash on Buenaventura Boulevard near Teton Drive at approximately 12:17 a.m. on August 25. Officers found a car in the middle of the roadway fully engulfed in flames. The Redding Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire.

According to RPD, one of the passengers was ejected from the car and taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The passenger was pronounced dead at the hospital. Another uninjured passenger was released.

The driver, Cristian Bennett, 19, of Redding, was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated causing great bodily injury or death, and driving without a license. Bennett was booked into the Shasta County Jail.