STOCKTON, Calif. — A disturbing sound kept Linda Garcia Medina awake Sunday night. She heard the moment a crash took the life of a 70-year-old woman in her Country Club neighborhood of Stockton.
"There was no brakes, there was nothing, just an ugly bang," said Garcia Medina. "She was extricated from her vehicle, that's how bad she was rammed."
According to the California Highway Patrol, a 34-year-old man was driving a 2006 Infiniti under the influence of drugs or alcohol around 10:25 p.m. Sunday when he drove through the stop sign at Princeton Avenue and Delaware Avenue, slamming into the 70-year-old's 1990 GMC.
"She's a grandmother," said Garcia Medina, who added the victim lived in the neighborhood. "That could have been me, it could have been my neighbor. It shouldn't have been, that's the point. It shouldn't have been."
The driver of the Infinity allegedly tried to run away from the scene, but employees who were leaving work a block away at Michael's Pizza stepped in, holding him until police could get there.
The unnamed driver was later arrested and booked into San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of felony DUI and felony hit and run.
"If it wasn't for these kids who work here at Michael's Pizza, he probably wouldn't have been caught," said Garcia Medina. "There are some good young people."
In front of Michael's Pizza, just a block down the street from where the crash happened, is also where neighbors say they heard the familiar sound of sideshows just moments before the deadly crash.
"There's no regard for traffic, for the law, for patrol or any kind of law enforcement whatsoever," said Garcia Medina. "It's getting scary here."
The intersection where the sideshow happened was still covered in skid marks with pieces of tires scattered around Wednesday. The same intersection has been the site of at least five sideshows in the past five weeks, area business owners said.
"We try not to frequent the local businesses at all at night so we're kind of kept prisoner in our own house," said Garcia Medina. "We used to love to come (to Michael's Pizza), the kids played the machines for a little while. Not anymore."
The CHP says that at this point there does not appear to be any relation between the crash and the several sideshows across Stockton Sunday night, but both frightening scenes close to each other have neighbors like Garcia Medina pleading for more to be done.
San Joaquin County officials plan to recognize the restaurant employees who detained the suspect at the next board meeting Tuesday.
"Put a roundabout, put speed bumps. Do whatever you have to do," said Garcia Medina. "How many lives will be lost, how many people will be disturbed? It's not a good neighborhood anymore."
Watch more from ABC10: Stockton sideshow nets multiple arrests, impounds 10 cars
