A 43-year old CarMax salesman lost his life after a customer, who is believed to have been under the influence of drugs, lost control and crashed a red Corvette during a test drive.
Quoting police sources, KTLA reports that the incident occurred Tuesday around noon, near the CarMax used car center in Ontario, California, when 28-year old Alex Demetro, from Union city, was driving the car at a “high rate of speed”.
Witnesses claim the Corvette was being driven at more than 70mph (113km/h), when the driver lost control and crashed into a tree. The aftermath of the accident left victim Warren Smale in the passenger seat, while Demetro was reportedly sitting on the ground, holding his shoulder.
Smale was transported to San Antonio Regional Hospital, in critical condition, but was later pronounced dead.
“It’s part of our job, the test drives. I know Warren… he probably had no clue, I’m sure” commented Lydia Garret, co-worker.
“Today is an incredibly sad day for the CarMax family. Our hearts and prayers go out to our associate’s family. CarMax is working closely with the authorities on the investigation,” CarMax said in a statement.
Police did not say if Demetro suffered any injuries, but he was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence of drugs. He is currently held in a San Bernardino jail and will appear in court on Thursday. Bail was apparently set at $100,000.