California man, 26, is charged with vehicular manslaughter for ‘drunk driving’ crash that killed off-duty cop
- Yijie Mao, 26, was arrested following the crash early Sunday in Chino, California
- He was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and marijuana when he plowed into off-duty San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas O’Loughlin
- The 28-year-old cop from Chino Hills was pronounced dead on the scene
- Mao, of Alhambra, is in custody on DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges
A suspected drunk driver has been arrested following a car crash that killed an off-duty California police officer.
Authorities said Yijie Mao, 26, was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana when his car struck a vehicle driven by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas O’Loughlin just after midnight on Sunday in Chino.
The 28-year-old cop from Chino Hills was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the Chino Police Department.
Yijie Mao, 26, (left) has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana and vehicular manslaughter following a car crash that killed off-duty San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas O’Loughlin, 28, (right) around 12.30am Sunday in Chino, California
Mao was driving a 2014 BMW compact SUV when he plowed into O’Loughlin’s 2006 Chevrolet Silverado, according to investigators. Mao’s wrecked car is seen above after the crash
Mao was reportedly traveling west on Edison Avenue in a 2014 BMW compact SUV when he plowed into O’Loughlin, who was heading south on Euclid Avenue in a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado.
The suspect from Alhambra has been charged with driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.
He is being held at the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino in lieu of posting $250,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Rancho Superior Court on Wednesday, according to jail records.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced O’Loughlin’s death in a Facebook post on Sunday, writing: ‘Nicholas left a positive impression on his friends and coworkers and will be deeply missed. Rest easy brother.’
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Chino Police Department at 909-334-3018 or mbloch@chinopd.org.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced O’Loughlin’s death on Facebook