Police: DUI hit-and-run of cyclist sees driver arrested
According to court records, driver Launette Sanchez already had on open DUI case from 2024.
An Oakland driver who ran into a cyclist in Berkeley and then left the scene was arrested this week on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, authorities report.
The crash happened Monday shortly before 6 p.m., Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.
The driver, Launette Sanchez, was heading south on Shattuck Avenue when she hit the cyclist at Channing Way, shattering her windshield, BPD said.
Sanchez, 48, left before authorities arrived, police said.
Read more about traffic safety in Berkeley.
The cyclist declined hospital transport and was able to speak with police who arrived to investigate the downtown Berkeley crash.
A witness gave officers a photograph of the car, a red Mustang from 2016, and police were able to enter it into their Flock automated license plate reader system.
Launette Sanchez. BPD
A few minutes after the crash, the Flock system picked up the Mustang on Ashby Avenue, and police were able to follow Sanchez to a home in the Oakland Hills, about 6 miles from the crash scene.
Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of DUI causing injury and hit-and-run resulting in injury, both felonies, along with two misdemeanors, Berkeley police said.
According to court records, Sanchez already has an open misdemeanor DUI case from 2024.
In that case, she was charged with driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level above 0.08%, in addition to allegations of having an excessive blood alcohol level.
As of publication time, she was no longer in custody.
Charges have not yet been filed in the new case and no further information about it was immediately available.
Sanchez is set to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on the old case Oct. 21.
