An administrator at a Stockton elementary school was arrested this weekend for allegedly driving under the influence after his car was involved in a deadly crash, the school district said Monday.
Hollis Blake, vice principal at George Komure Elementary School, was detained by California Highway Patrol early Sunday morning and is being held at the San Joaquin County Jail.
CHP received a call just before midnight Saturday about a vehicle crash on Interstate Highway 5 near March Lane in Stockton involving a gray SUV and a Dodge sedan.
The driver of the Dodge, identified as Blake, allegedly struck the SUV, propelling it into the center divider.
One person in the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene and multiple other people in the same car were taken to a hospital, according to CHP.
The collision blocked lanes for several hours.
“Our sympathy and condolences are with the families of those impacted by this terrible incident,” said the Manteca Unified School District, which oversees the school in Stockton, in a statement released Monday.
The district said Blake has been an employee since July 1, 2021, but has now been placed on administrative leave. Blake has been prohibited from entering any District property and is not allowed to have contact with staff, students, or community members.
Bail has been set at $1.25 million and Blake is set to appear in a Stockton courthouse Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
