A California senator has been accused of driving on drugs after crashing into another car just blocks away from the State Capitol in Sacramento.
Sabrina Cervantes, 37, left her car behind and was driven to the hospital with minor injuries after the accident on Monday around 1:30pm.
Sacramento police arrived to speak with the Democrat about what happened and quickly noticed she was showing signs of intoxication.
After further evaluation, authorities cited the lawmaker with a misdemeanor for suspicion of DUI before she was released from the facility, police told KTLA.
But the mother-of-three sitting on the Senate Committee on Elections fiercely denied she consumed any mind-altering substances before getting behind the wheel.
‘On Monday afternoon, while seeking care in the emergency room after my sedan was t-boned by a large SUV,’ she explained in a statement.
‘I was accosted by Sacramento Police Department officers, falsely accused of driving under the influence, and involuntarily detained for several hours at the hospital.’
She added these allegations have left her stressed and frustrated as someone who holds herself ‘to the highest standard.’
Sabrina Cervantes (pictured), 37, has been accused of driving on drugs after crashing into another car just blocks away from the State Capitol in Sacramento
Cervantes (pictured) is the first openly gay Latina to represent Western Riverside County in the Legislature, her bio states
‘I want to be clear: I did nothing wrong,’ she asserted.
‘The lab results I sought in the hospital show conclusively I had no alcohol in my system. I expect this to be quickly and justly resolved.’
However, police reiterated the fact they are not claiming she was drunk, but on drugs. It is unclear what they believe she consumed.
A spokesperson for the department also told KTLA Cervantes’ argument that officers treated her unfairly or harshly was not supported by body camera video.
‘After reviewing officers’ body camera footage, I didn’t see any indication Senator Cervantes was accosted by officers,’ the representative said.
‘Officers conducted a thorough investigation and remained professional and respectful throughout it.’
The cause of the accident that sparked this DUI dilemma is still under investigation, although the spokesperson said it seemed that Cervantes’ SUV was t-boned, as the politician claimed.
Cervantes represents Senate District 31, which embodies portions of parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. She assumed the role in December 2024.
Cervantes (pictured) represents Senate District 31, which embodies portions of parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. She assumed the role in December 2024
She previously served on the state’s Assembly. She was first elected to the State Legislature in 2016, according to her Senate biography.
From 2022 to 2024, she was the Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus.
Cervantes is also the first openly gay Latina to represent Western Riverside County in the Legislature, her bio states.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Riverside before completing an executive education program at Harvard University.
Cervantes’ scandal comes months after a Democratic Rhode Island senator was arrested for allegedly drunk driving.
Progressive state Rep. Enrique Sanchez, 28, was pulled over in the early morning hours of February 3, after allegedly parking his car in an intersection in Cranston, Rhode Island.
Police officers noticed he remained stopped at a traffic light even after the light turned green, as reported by the Rhode Island Current.
Officer Chavelle Lopez wrote in the arrest report that Sanchez ‘seemed confused’ when stopped, initially handing over a red debit card instead of his driver’s license before insisting he hadn’t been drinking.
But the mother-of-three (middle) sitting on the Senate Committee on Elections fiercely denied she consumed any mind-altering substances before getting behind the wheel.
Cervantes’ scandal comes months after a Democratic Rhode Island Senator Enrique Sanchez (pictured) was arrested for allegedly drunk driving
She noted she could smell ‘a heavy odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath’ while Sanchez was speaking and observed he had ‘bloodshot watery eyes.’
Despite the evidence, Sanchez pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated in his initial court appearance.
He since pleaded not guilty to lesser civil charges of refusing a chemical test and failure to obey traffic control devices.
Court documents obtained by Fox News reveal that on February 19, Cranston Magistrate William Noonan suspended Sanchez’s license but granted him a limited ‘hardship license.’
The ‘hardship license’ allowed him to drive to his day job and the State House between 8am and 8pm – but only after installing an ignition interlock breathalyzer in his vehicle.
