Man arrested in suspected DUI fatality

Nathan Wright
Healdsburg Tribune Staff Writer
A Healdsburg man is believed to have been intoxicated when he
drove his car off a West County road early Monday morning, killing
one of his passengers and injuring himself and a second passenger.
Donald Arrodondo, 24, was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and
for driving under the influence.
James Ortega, 23, also of Healdsburg, died at the scene.
The wreck was a solo-car accident just after 2 a.m., according
to California Highway Patrol spokesperson Jonathan Sloat. “There’s
a sharp curve on Frei Road with a deep drainage ditch probably four
or five feet deep,” he said. “They went off into that, hit a tree
and went into a fence.”
Graton and Forestville firefighters arrived on scene to find
Arrodondo and Ortega trapped inside the vehicle. The Mazda 3’s roof
had partially collapsed, forcing firefighters to extract the driver
and front seat passenger. The second passenger, Chrystina Swan, 24,
of Rio Nido, was able to exit the vehicle on her own after
sustaining minor injuries. She was reportedly sitting in the back
seat.
Arrodondo suffered major injuries and was sent to Memorial
Hospital for treatment after he was arrested. Swan was also sent to
Memorial Hospital.
Sloat said officers discovered an odor of alcohol at the scene.
Speed is also being considered a factor in the accident.
Sloat wasn’t sure where the three were headed or where they had
come from.