Sacramento, CA - 45-Year-Old Road Worker Killed in Suspected DUI Crash on Highway 50

Sacramento, California (August 10, 2026) - A road crew was working an overnight shift on the elevated eastbound lanes of Highway 50 when a Honda sedan entered the coned-off work zone near the Stockton Boulevard overpass at about 12:39 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Honda first struck a truck that had been parked as a barrier to protect the crew, then kept going and hit one of the workers, according to a spokesperson for Bay Line Cutting and Coring, the San Francisco-based company subcontracted by a Caltrans contractor for the road work. The worker was knocked off the freeway and landed on Stockton Boulevard below.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office has since identified him as Onias Avila De Rodriguez, 45, of Modesto.

CHP Lt. Kris Rolin said the Honda's driver, a woman in her 20s, left the scene after hitting the worker and struck another vehicle further along Highway 50 before officers caught up with her. No one was hurt in that second crash. Alcohol is a suspected factor in both collisions, according to the CHP.

All eastbound lanes of Highway 50 and Stockton Boulevard stayed closed for hours while investigators processed the scene, reopening just before 6 a.m.

This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.

Fatal Drunk Driving Accidents in Sacramento, California

Can the family pursue a civil claim while the criminal case moves forward?

Yes. A civil wrongful death claim runs on its own track from any DUI, hit-and-run, or vehicular manslaughter charges prosecutors file. The family does not need to wait for a conviction, and the standard of proof in civil court is lower than in a criminal trial.

What can a wrongful death claim recover?

California law allows a spouse, children, or other dependents to pursue compensation for lost financial support, lost household services, funeral and burial costs, and the loss of the deceased's care, comfort, and guidance.

Does it matter that he was working when he was struck?

It can open a second path to compensation. Workers' compensation covers on-the-job injuries regardless of fault, but California law also allows an injured worker, or their family in a death, to pursue a separate civil claim against a negligent third party, here the driver, on top of any workers' compensation benefits.

Does the arrest change anything for a civil case?

An arrest and pending DUI charges are not required to bring a civil claim, but they often produce useful evidence, including the CHP's field sobriety and blood alcohol reports, that can support the family's case.

What is the filing deadline?

Wrongful death claims in California generally must be filed within two years of the date of death (CCP 377.60). For this case, that deadline falls on August 10, 2028.

What should the family do in the meantime?

Requesting a copy of the CHP collision report once it is finalized, and confirming that the driver's blood alcohol results have been logged into evidence, are both steps an attorney can pursue on the family's behalf while the criminal case moves forward.

Contact Our California Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys

Finding out that a family member died at work because a driver chose to get behind the wheel impaired, then fled instead of stopping, is a particular kind of pain. Grief and anger tend to arrive at the same time.

Christian Contreras Law has taken drunk driving and wrongful death cases to trial across California and secured a $5 million wrongful death settlement for a family in a comparable highway crash.

The driver's blood alcohol results, the CHP's collision reconstruction, and the contractor's work-zone safety records are all evidence that becomes harder to pull together the longer a case sits, so we move on it early.

There is no cost to speak with our office and nothing owed unless we recover money for your family.

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Talk to a California Drunk Driving Accident Attorney at (866) 836-6588

Legal Disclaimer

This page is attorney advertising and is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Incident information is based on publicly available reports and may change as the investigation continues. The Law Offices of Christian Contreras is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any law enforcement or emergency response agency. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and no outcome is promised or implied.