The Daily Breeze
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005

The Associated Press

MISSION VIEJO - An alleged drunken driver fled from sheriff's deputies into oncoming traffic and crashed into a car, killing the two people inside, authorities said.

Jon Tafoya, 25, of Downey was arrested in a back yard after running from the crash late Tuesday night despite a broken ankle, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Tafoya was a sex offender and deputies found a small quantity of narcotics in the vehicle, Amormino said.

The 40-year-old driver of the other car and a 22-year-old woman riding with him were killed in the crash, Amormino said.

The driver died at the scene and his name was being withheld pending notification of his family.

The passenger, identified as 22-year-old Melody Carolyn Wooldridge, of Redlands, died after being taken to a nearby hospital. Wooldridge had planned to move to Arizona on Thursday to live with her grandfather, KABC-TV reported.

Deputies shortly before the crash had pulled Tafoya over for allegedly failing to display license plates.

When the deputy approached the pickup, Tafoya allegedly sped off, drove against traffic and collided head-on with the Saturn sedan carrying the two victims, authorities said.