8 hours ago
Innocent Sacramento driver killed in police chase moved to U.S. to pursue American Dream, family says
SACRAMENTO – Family members of the innocent driver killed in a high-speed police chase in Sacramento have identified him as Nguyễn Huỳnh Hữu Đức, or Duc Nguyen.
Nguyen, 30, immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam four years ago for a better life and he was studying engineering. Family said he was working as a DoorDash driver when his car was hit during the police chase.
MUOI DUC NGUYEN
CBS13 obtained dash camera video showing the suspect vehicle speeding through a red light, colliding with Nguyen's car and then flying head-on into oncoming traffic.
Sacramento police were chasing 33-year-old Daniel Cunningham, who was a wanted domestic violence suspect and parole violator.
Police said that after he crashed, he got out of his car and tried to run away from the seven mangled cars before he was arrested.
"They did have an initial right to pursue this man," said local attorney, unrelated to the case, Justin Ward.
Ward said police pursuits take into account the safety of the public.
"If there's a likelihood that the public will be injured or killed, they are supposed to stop pursuing that vehicle," Ward said.
The suspect police were chasing could now face murder or manslaughter charges, according to Ward.
CBS13 reviewed the Sacramento Police Department's pursuit protocol that says officers must consider if the pursuit is reasonable with regard to posted and safe speed limits and road, weather and traffic conditions.
A spokesperson from the department could not tell CBS13 why their helicopter was not used and said they do not use drones to chase cars.
The CHP is now investigating the police pursuit and deadly crash.
CBS 3 spent hours with the mourning family on Sunday afternoon as over a dozen people gathered to pray for their loved one who was killed.
The family brought Nguyen's favorite things to the intersection at Florin Road and called in monks to conduct a prayer to bring his soul home.
People in the Pocket neighborhood stopped by to pay their respects, including the former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg with his wife.
As family and friends of Nguyen are beginning the painful process of mourning this sudden loss of a Sacramento man whose move here for the American dream turned deadly.
MUOI DUC NGUYEN
Family said Nguyen's wife was months away from joining him in America and they were preparing to start a family.
