WASCO, Calif. — Woman arrested for DUI after fatal accident near Wasco.
According to the Kern County Sheriff's Office, deputies were sent to the scene of an accident near Highway 46 and North Leonard Avenue at around 8:20 p.m. Tuesday night. When they arrived they found two vehicles had been involved in a head-on collision.
It was determined that a vehicle traveling eastbound on Hwy 46 veered into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The male driver of one vehicle, 43-year-old Donald Frank Steinhaus, was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger was transported to a local hospital with what were described as "moderate" injuries.
After further investigation, it was determined the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident, 61-year-old Margaret Fladhammer of Oceano, California, was driving under the influence. She suffered only minor injuries.
Fladhammer was arrested for driving while under the influence of drugs resulting in bodily injury, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of paraphernalia.
