Bee reporters answer questions about area crime news, trends and other issues.
QUESTION: What happened to the single-car accident at 4 a.m. Nov. 24? I know the passenger died. The driver was taken to the hospital. Did he or she live, and what was the cause of the accident?
Submitted by: Tammy Cowan, Sacramento
ANSWER: Samuel Bagdikyan, 33, of North Highlands died Nov. 24 when the 2007 Toyota Scion in which he was riding crashed into a brick soundwall.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Walter Portillo, 37, of Sacramento was driving the Scion southbound on Don Julio Boulevard north of Cherbourg Drive at 3:57 a.m.
The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when Portillo lost control and the Scion spun in a southeast direction, crossing the northbound lanes and striking the soundwall, according to a CHP new release.
Officials said Portillo was not wearing a seat belt and was taken to Mercy San Juan Medical Center in serious condition with major head trauma. They said alcohol is suspected of being a contributing factor in the crash, pending a toxicology report on Portillo.
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