LOS ANGELES, CA – A 29-year-old Santa Paula man was arrested after investigators determined he allegedly ran a red light before causing an eight-vehicle crash in Oxnard that killed two men and injured four other people.
David Mora turned himself in to the Oxnard Police Department at about 8 p.m. Friday, October 2, and was taken into custody on a charge of vehicular homicide, according to an updated police release.
The arrest came one week after the September 25 collision at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Doris Avenue, where two drivers died at the scene and four other people were transported to local hospitals with injuries.
Crash involved eight vehicles
The collision happened at approximately 3:54 p.m. on September 25, according to the Oxnard Police Department’s official release.
Officers and emergency medical personnel arriving at the intersection found eight vehicles involved in the chain-reaction crash. Four of the vehicles sustained major damage.
Two drivers were trapped inside their vehicles, a 1998 Toyota Avalon and a 2005 Honda Civic. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims were men from Oxnard, ages 31 and 58, according to police. Their names have not been released publicly because authorities were initially awaiting notification of their next of kin.
Four other people involved in the collision suffered minor injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Police say pickup ran red light
Traffic investigators said their preliminary investigation determined that Mora was driving a 2018 GMC Sierra pickup truck northbound on Victoria Avenue when he allegedly entered the intersection against a red light.
At the same time, the Honda Civic and Toyota Avalon were traveling westbound through the intersection with a green light, according to investigators.
The initial impact set off a series of secondary collisions involving the other vehicles.
Police said the force of the crash pushed the Toyota Avalon north along Victoria Avenue and into a Southern California Edison utility pole located in the center median. The pole was dislodged and fell onto the Avalon.
The Avalon then continued forward and struck a Chevrolet Volt that was traveling southbound in a left-turn lane at Doris Avenue.
Meanwhile, the Honda Civic and GMC Sierra became airborne before coming to rest on the median. The Honda rolled over the side and roof of a Nissan Rogue that had been stopped in the southbound left-turn lane.
The Civic and Sierra then became entangled as they landed on the median and subsequently collided with a 2014 GMC Terrain.
The force of that impact pushed the Terrain backward into a 2010 Ford Fusion and a 2025 Toyota RAV4, which were positioned behind it.
The detailed sequence was outlined in the Oxnard Police Department’s September 26 crash report.
Four people suffered injuries
Although the two drivers killed in the crash were the most seriously affected, several other people also required medical attention.
Police said a driver and passenger in the GMC Terrain complained of pain. The driver of the Nissan Rogue also reported pain.
No injuries were reported in the Chevrolet Volt, Ford Fusion or Toyota RAV4, according to investigators.
The Oxnard Police Traffic Unit handles investigations involving serious-injury and fatal traffic collisions in the city.
Investigation led to arrest
After examining the collision, traffic investigators said they gathered enough evidence to charge Mora with vehicular homicide.
Police said Mora subsequently surrendered at the Oxnard Police Department on October 2 and was taken into custody.
The arrest announcement did not provide a court date or additional information about Mora’s custody status. The department also has not publicly released the identities of the two men who died.
Because the investigation remains ongoing, the allegations against Mora have not been adjudicated in court.
Speed and impairment investigated
The original police release stated that investigators believed speed and impairment by alcohol and/or drugs were contributing factors in the collision, while noting that the investigation remained ongoing.
Those findings are part of the preliminary investigation and do not by themselves establish criminal responsibility for any additional offense.
Police have not provided a final determination regarding the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
The department’s Traffic Unit is responsible for investigating fatal collisions and other serious traffic incidents throughout Oxnard, including cases involving possible impaired or dangerous driving.
Police seek witnesses and video
Investigators are still asking members of the public who witnessed the crash or recorded it to come forward.
Anyone with information about the collision or relevant dashcam footage is asked to contact Traffic Investigator Joseph Clarke at 805-385-7750.
Information can also be provided through the Oxnard Police Department, which lists its main department number as 805-385-7600 and its non-emergency dispatch line as 805-385-7740.
People who want to remain anonymous can also provide information through Ventura Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477, according to police.
The investigation remains active as authorities continue reviewing evidence and seeking additional information about the crash.
