Victim, 24, died at the scene; three others were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
ANAHEIM, CA — A 24-year-old pregnant woman was killed early Sunday when a Lexus sedan ran a red light and struck a Toyota Camry at an Anaheim intersection, police said. Officers arrested the Lexus driver, a 24-year-old Riverside man, on suspicion of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter.
The deadly collision happened around 12:09 a.m. Sunday at North Anaheim Boulevard and the State Route 91 frontage road, near an on-ramp to the eastbound freeway. Anaheim police say the Lexus traveled eastbound through a solid red light and hit the southbound Toyota. The front-seat passenger in the Toyota — a 24-year-old who was pregnant — was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities identified the suspected driver as Daniel Ramos of Riverside. The case is in the early stages of review, and investigators said additional charges could be considered because the victim was pregnant.
Police and Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded within minutes to reports of a major injury crash and found the Toyota with significant passenger-side damage and the Lexus disabled nearby. Video aired by local television showed officers evaluating a man at the scene before he was taken away in handcuffs. Sgt. Eric Anderson said Ramos “exhibited objective signs and symptoms of impairment” when officers made contact. The Toyota’s driver and two passengers from the Lexus were taken to area hospitals with injuries described as not life-threatening. No other vehicles were involved, and no additional victims were reported at the intersection.
Authorities have not publicly released the deceased woman’s name pending official identification and family notification. Relatives later identified her to local media as Bianca Esquivel. Police did not disclose how far along she was in her pregnancy. Investigators said the Toyota was heading south on Anaheim Boulevard when it entered the intersection on a green light moments before impact. The Lexus, described as gray, was traveling east on the SR-91 frontage road. Both directions were closed for hours while collision investigators documented skid marks, gathered debris, and mapped the scene. Officers collected field sobriety observations and began standard DUI procedures; toxicology results were not immediately available.
Sunday’s fatal crash comes less than two years after an Orange County case that drew statewide attention: a driver with prior DUI convictions was sentenced to prison for a 2020 Anaheim crash that killed a 23-year-old expectant mother. That case underscored how prosecutors can pursue enhanced charges, including murder or manslaughter counts, when impairment leads to a death. Anaheim, a city bisected by freeways and busy arterials, has seen a steady volume of serious nighttime collisions near on- and off-ramps, according to police summaries from recent years. The intersection at Anaheim Boulevard and the SR-91 approach funnels late-night traffic from frontage roads, where drivers sometimes accelerate to merge or beat changing signals.
Ramos was booked into the Anaheim Detention Facility on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. Detectives will forward their findings to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. Because the victim was pregnant, investigators said they could seek additional counts after reviewing medical and forensic reports. Formal identification by the coroner and autopsy scheduling were pending Monday. If prosecutors file charges early this week, an initial court appearance could follow within days at the North Justice Center in Fullerton. Police asked anyone who witnessed the crash or who has dashcam footage from around 12:05 to 12:15 a.m. Sunday to contact investigators.
By midmorning Sunday, the intersection reopened to traffic. Bouquet remnants and hazard triangles sat near the curb as tow trucks cleared the last debris. A resident who lives a block away said the impact woke several neighbors. “It sounded like metal folding,” the resident said, describing a thud followed by sirens. Near the ramp, workers adjusted a damaged signal cabinet while officers directed drivers around the scene. Later in the day, relatives gathered at a nearby parking lot to speak quietly with officers as investigators wrapped up measurements and loaded both sedans onto flatbeds.
As of late Monday, the Anaheim Police Department said the investigation remains active and that further updates will be released after toxicology testing and coroner findings. Prosecutors will decide on potential charges after reviewing the police report and evidence, with the next public update expected this week.
Author note: Last updated January 26, 2026.