Live Oak man dies in Penryn crash; driver arrested

A Live Oak man was killed early Wednesday in an apparent head-on drunken driving collision in Placer County.

Gabriel Rodriguez, 53, died following the crash in the Penryn area, according to the Placer County Coroner's Office.

Andrey Yushchuk of Lincoln was taken by air ambulance to Sutter Roseville Medical Center where he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, CHP Officer David Martinez said in a press release. Yushchuk, 43, was listed in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, a hospital official said.

Suspected blood-alcohol levels were not available.

The CHP said Rodriguez was driving a silver 1993 Nissan Quest around 6:15 a.m. when his vehicle was struck head-on by a beige 2005 Nissan Quest driven by Yushchuk that had crossed over into the wrong lane, the CHP said.

Rodriguez's vehicle then swerved to the right, spun and went head-on into a second vehicle driven by Michael Steagall, of Loomis. Steagall, 49, was not hurt.

Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene.

He is the second Sutter County resident killed in a suspected drunken driving wreck in the last week.

Sutter County sheriff's Deputy Rory Roguski was killed Nov. 7 after the car he was riding in crashed into a rock wall on Highway 20 in the Yuba County foothills. The CHP said Roguski's girlfriend, Erin M. Jasper, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

CONTACT Rob Parsons at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4785. Find him on Facebook at /ADcrimebeat or on Twitter at @ADcrimebeat.