A call came into the Milpitas Police Department (MPD) at around 11:19pm on 1-9-20. On Piedmont Road’s 1198 block, a 2005 black Porsche Cayenne had hit a tree, sustaining major damages. Thirty-three-year-old San Jose resident Danny Zuniga-Perez was behind the wheel with minor injuries.
Zuniga-Perez’s passenger had been thrown from the vehicle on impact. Officers found him nearby and did CPR on him until the Milpitas Fire Department (MFD) showed. When the passenger’s pulse returned, he was transported to a hospital.
Nearby, a second vehicle was discovered, its driver sealed inside. Personnel helped to break the driver free, then treated him for a broken ankle at the scene and released him.
Zuniga-Perez was found by officers to have been drinking alcohol. He was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.
A subsequent investigation by MPD’s Traffic Safety Department uncovered the fact that Zuniga-Perez caused the crash after striking the other vehicle’s rear. His Porsche went off the road and rolled multiple times before being stopped by slamming into the tree.
Zuniga-Perez’s passenger died at the hospital.
Having been released from jail, Zuniga-Perez was rearrested on 1-22-20. Charges: gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing an injury, and reckless driving.
In an MPD press release, they recommended that people “Please have a travel plan in place instead of driving impaired. In addition to alcohol, driving under the influence of cannabis, medications, and/or drugs is illegal and dangerous. Always designate a sober driver, take public transportation, or utilize a ride-share service. There is always a better option than getting behind the wheel while impaired.”
Always greatful to our Police and Fire Departments for their tremendous support in our city.