Man, 21, Suspected in Fatal DUI in Palm Desert Free From Jail

PALM DESERT (CNS) – A young man accused of driving under the influence and fatally striking a 34-year-old man in Palm Desert earlier this week was released on a $75,000 bail bond Wednesday.

Christian Ruvalcaba, 21, of Palm Desert was arrested Monday night on suspicion of felony hit and run, driving under the influence causing injury and vehicular manslaughter, according to Sgt. Don Olson of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Olson said deputies from the Palm Desert sheriff’s station responded at around 9:30 p.m. Monday to the intersection of Highway 111 and Deep Canyon Drive to a report of a traffic collision.

A silver Honda CRV, allegedly driven by Ruvalcaba, struck a pedestrian and fled the scene, according to Olson. The pedestrian was identified by the Riverside County coroner’s office as Jaime Dodge of Palm Desert.

When deputies arrived they found Dodge with major injuries and immediately began to administer life-saving measures, Olson said. Dodge was subsequently taken to the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he succumbed to his injuries at 10 p.m., according to the coroner’s office.

The suspect vehicle was found later that night in Beaumont, where Ruvalcaba was allegedly under the influence of drugs, according to Olson.

He was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio on Tuesday morning, but was released by Wednesday after he posted bail, according to inmate records. Ruvalcaba is expected to make his first court appearance July 13.

Anyone with more information about the fatal crash was asked to call Deputy Claro Sanchez of the Palm Desert sheriff’s station at 760-836-1600 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-782-7463.

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