They Had the Walk Signal. A Suspected DUI Crash Killed Them.

October 7, 2026 · U.S. DUI news and case updates reported October 6–7. The collisions below occurred October 3 and October 5; they are not all new crashes from the last two days.

The pedestrians were crossing with the signal. The Toyota entering the intersection had a green light. According to Vancouver police, the Jeep did not.

That distinction is the starting point for the most consequential update in this article: on October 7, police confirmed that a second pedestrian had died after the Washington collision.

Two other cases receiving fresh coverage put names to the consequences of suspected impaired driving: Manuel Cerrillo-Mendoza, arrested after a cyclist's death in California, and Kari Kmiec, accused in the crash that killed James Fornia, 91, in Colorado. Here is what investigators have reported, where each collision happened, and what remains unresolved.

Vancouver: Noah Merchant Arrested; Second Pedestrian Dies

Where: NE Andresen Road and NE Van Mall Drive, Vancouver, Washington.
When: October 5, approximately 9:45 p.m. Police issued a fatality update October 7.

The Vancouver Police Department says a Jeep driven by Noah Merchant, 26, ran a red light and struck a Toyota RAV4. The Jeep overturned and hit two pedestrians in the south crosswalk.

A 34-year-old woman died at the scene. A 43-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition; police subsequently confirmed his death. Their names were not included in the department's update.

Merchant was initially booked on allegations of DUI, vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving. Police now say the vehicular-assault allegation will be changed to vehicular homicide. The investigation continues.

The detail that gives this case its weight is that police describe the pedestrians as crossing properly. Nothing in the release suggests they ignored the signal. The reported sequence begins with a driver's alleged red-light violation.

Modesto: A Cyclist Dies, and the Driver Is Booked on Suspicion of Murder

Where: Alice Street and an alley near Needham Street and McHenry Avenue, Modesto, California.
When: October 5, approximately 4 p.m. Reports published October 6.

A 63-year-old bicyclist was killed after a white Chevrolet Silverado entered an alley and crossed his path, according to police accounts reported by the Modesto Bee and FOX40.

Police identified the driver as Manuel Cerrillo-Mendoza, 33. Investigators allege he left the scene. Officers later located the pickup and stopped him near 9th and M streets. The cyclist's name was being withheld pending notification of family.

Following a DUI investigation and consultation with the district attorney's office, police booked Cerrillo-Mendoza on suspicion of murder, hit-and-run resulting in death, and DUI causing injury or death. Police also reported a prior DUI-related history.

That history deserves careful wording: the reporting reviewed here does not establish a specific number of prior convictions. Nor does a murder booking establish guilt. What it does show is the seriousness of the allegations now under investigation.

Colorado Springs: James Fornia, 91, Was a Passenger in the Car Hit

Where: Constitution Avenue and Murray Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
When: October 3, shortly before 1:30 p.m. New court-document reporting published October 6.

James Fornia, 91, died when a truck struck the vehicle in which he was riding. Kari Kmiec, 42, faces vehicular-homicide and DUI charges, according to The Gazette's October 6 report.

Citing court documents, the newspaper reported that Kmiec's westbound truck crossed into an opposing turn lane and hit the first vehicle waiting at the eastbound light. The truck then spun into a third vehicle.

Fornia died at the scene. The driver of his vehicle was injured; occupants of the third vehicle were reportedly unhurt. The Gazette reported that court documents describe Kmiec telling police she had consumed several shots of alcohol roughly an hour before the collision.

KKTV's reporting places the emergency calls just before 1:30 p.m. This was an afternoon crash at a signalized intersection, not a late-night collision on an empty road.

What to Watch as These Cases Develop

The next meaningful updates will be specific: public identification of the Vancouver and Modesto victims, formal charging decisions, court responses, and the evidence supporting the impairment allegations. A booking report gives the police account; the court process determines what can be proved.

For now, the clearest connection between these stories is where the victims were: in a crosswalk, on a bicycle, and in a passenger seat. None of those positions insulated them from the driving alleged in these reports.

James Fornia's name is public. Three other people who died in these cases remain unnamed in the sources reviewed here. Their names, when officially released, matter as much as the names of the people arrested.

Reporting note: This article covers selected developments reported October 6–7, 2026, using the linked police statement and local reporting. It is not a ranking by views or social-media activity. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. DUI allegations do not, by themselves, identify the substance involved; alcohol is specifically alleged in the Colorado reporting. Any accompanying AI-generated image is illustrative.