An Indian-origin man has been charged with one count of second-degree murder in connection with a car accident that killed a woman in San Ramon, California, over the Thanksgiving weekend. He was arraigned on December 4.
The suspected drunken driver is also facing two counts of driving under the influence (DUI) of an alcoholic beverage causing injury, and two counts of driving with a 0.08% blood alcohol content causing injury, as per the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office’s official statement shared online.
He has taken into custody at the Martinez Detention Facility on Thursday, according to a police statement cited in multiple US reports. His bail was ultimately set at a hefty amount of $1.2 million, as per NBC Bay Area.
Indian-origin man ID’d as the suspected DUI driver in California crash
The man suspected to have been behind the wheel in a drunken state has since been identified as 27-year-old Badal Devendra Dholaria, according to a ‘News Flash’ on the official website of Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office. Pleasanton Weekly’s cover story titled “Congratulations class of 2016” even lists Badal Dholaria as a Foothill High School alum.
Initial findings in the car crash investigation suggest that the Indian-origin man residing in the city of Pleasanton was driving a Tesla Model S. He is said to have been speeding over 150 mph while heading in the direction of Crow Canyon Road right before the accident.
“Dholaria’s reckless disregard for public safety led to his vehicle striking the rear passenger side of the victim’s Ford Bronco,” the San Ramon Police Department said, as per NBC Bay Area.
UPDATE: Badal Dholaria, 27, was going 120 mph on Crow Canyon Road when his @Tesla hit right rear of Ford Bronco, killing SUV passenger Alix Sparks, 41, per @SanRamonPolice, adding Dholaria, charged by @ContraCostaDA w/murder & DUI, had been going 150 mph before crash pic.twitter.com/PAw5BHwzGS
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) December 4, 2025
“Preliminary findings indicate that a Tesla Model S driven by (Dholaria) was traveling at more than 150 mph westbound on Crow Canyon Road,” the police issued the statement on social media on Thursday (US time). Officials further added that Dholaria’s Tesla is said to have been travelling over the speed of 120 mph at the time of impact.
The car collision unfortunately resulted in the death of Alix Mari Sparks, a 41-year-old woman from Castro Valley, as per the local news outlet Danville SanRamon. While she was the passenger in the Ford Bronco, the 40-year-old man driving the impacted car was injured. He was treated at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek on the day of the accident, and later released.
Badal Dholaria pleads not guilty
According to Danville SanRamon newspaper, the Indian-origin suspect appeared in Contra Cost County Superior Court in Martinez on Thursday afternoon. He pleaded not guilty to all allegations and charges raised in connection with the suspected DUI crash.
As he remains in custody, Dholaria is slated to make another court appearance for a preliminary hearing on December 15 at 8:30 am local time.
Edwin Beltran, a witness from Hayward, told Danville San Ramon, “It was a horrible experience to witness. The driver at fault (Tesla driver) proceeded to try to unbuckle the victim’s wife, but I and everyone stopped him from doing so cause you’re not supposed to touch or move a body that’s been in an accident if they can’t move on their own. And of course the driver in fault had no scratches or cuts, just a bruise.”
