SAN RAMON, CA (December 4, 2025) — A Castro Valley woman was killed in a crash with a DUI driver in San Ramon last month. The San Ramon Police Department identified the victim as 41-year-old Alix Mari Sparks.
Accident Details: The San Ramon Police Department responded to a crash on Crow Canyon Road between a Ford Bronco and a Tesla Model 3 at 3:23 p.m. on November 29. Sparks was in the Ford Bronco and sustained fatal injuries in the crash.
The driver of the Ford was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, treated and released. The driver of the Tesla, identified as 28-year-old Badal Dholaria of Pleasanton, was driving under the influence at the time of the crash, police said.
Dholaria, whom police said caused the crash, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on charges of vehicular manslaughter and DUI. He is being held on $300,000 bail.
Investigation: The San Ramon Police Department said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Legal Considerations: DUI drivers who cause fatal crashes face vehicular manslaughter charges and potential prison sentences. California law recognizes that driving while impaired demonstrates gross negligence that warrants serious criminal consequences when it results in death.
Passengers like Sparks bear no responsibility for the crash that takes their lives. They trust that other drivers on the road will operate their vehicles safely and soberly. When a DUI driver shatters that trust and kills an innocent passenger, the tragedy is compounded by its preventability.
The driver of the Ford Bronco who survived with treatable injuries must now cope with the knowledge that their passenger died in the crash. This psychological burden adds another dimension of harm caused by Dholaria’s alleged impaired driving.
Sparks’s family can pursue wrongful death claims against Dholaria seeking compensation for funeral expenses, her pain and suffering before death, and the loss of companionship and support. DUI cases often support claims for punitive damages designed to punish the defendant’s reckless behavior and deter others from similar conduct.
The $300,000 bail amount reflects the seriousness of the charges and the court’s assessment of the danger Dholaria poses if released. His arrest at the scene suggests evidence of impairment was clear to responding officers.
Our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Alix Mari Sparks as they mourn this preventable loss.
Source: KRON4