Woman faces felony DUI charge in fatal traffic collision

Editor’s note: This news report is a follow-up of a fatal traffic collision reported here earlier.

One woman died, her teenage daughter was injured, and the adult female of another vehicle faces DUI and manslaughter charges related to a head-on collision Saturday night in Menifee.

The County Coroner identified the deceased as Guillermina Maria Gonzalez, 37, of Perris. She was driving northbound in the 27600 block of Encanto Drive about 6:15 p.m. when a vehicle driving southbound veered into the opposite lane and caused the accident, said Menifee Police Captain Dave Gutierrez.

Sandra Barber, 57, of Riverside was arrested on site and faces a felony DUI charge as well as a charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Barber received injuries but was not hospitalized, Gutierrez said.

The force of the collision sheared off one tire, which then struck a third vehicle. That person was not injured, Gutierrez said. Encanto Drive was closed in both directions during the ensuing investigation. At least one person had to be extricated from a vehicle, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The female passenger in the first vehicle that was struck is 16 years old, Gutierrez said.

“This is such a tragedy because collisions like this are 100 percent avoidable,” Gutierrez said. “It’s a choice you make. There’s absolutely zero excuse for someone driving intoxicated. There are so many options – rideshare, designated driver …

“Every time we post a DUI checkpoint, people complain and say we are violating their rights, which is not true. We’re going to stay the course and continue doing them. There are too many stories like this.”

Gutierrez added, "The Menifee Police Department offers our sincere condolences to the family of the victim.