Woman killed after car crashes into Modesto home planned to donate kidney to son
New details are emerging about the woman killed when a suspected DUI driver crashed into a Modesto home during a law enforcement chase last week.
Family members identified the victim as 73-year-old Carla Zepeda, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who was housesitting for friends when a vehicle slammed through the home on Tuxford Lane while she was asleep inside.
Her son, Steve Cox, said the loss is especially painful because Zepeda had recently volunteered to donate one of her kidneys to him after he was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease.
"I didn't know who to turn to or where to go," Cox said. "So I told her what was going on and she said, 'You can have one of mine.' "
That planned gift of life was tragically taken away when authorities say a vehicle driven by 20-year-old Zachariah Knobel crashed into the home following a California Highway Patrol pursuit.
According to investigators, officers attempted to stop Knobel's vehicle before he fled, leading to a pursuit that ended when the car crashed into the residence near Robin Hood Drive and Tuxford Lane in the middle of the night. The CHP said Knobel was suspected of driving under the influence and was later arrested.
Authorities have since booked Knobel on charges including second-degree murder, driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license.
We reached out to the CHP about the pursuit in this residential neighborhood. They referred us to their online policy which says officers are required to balance the risks of a pursuit to the public.
"I don't want to blame the police for doing their job," Cox said. "It's their job to take people like Zachariah Knobel off the streets."
Cox said his mom loved to travel, had several camping trailers, and had worked for Stanislaus County for more than two decades before retiring.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Carla Zepeda, a retired Stanislaus County employee who dedicated approximately 27 years of service to our community," the county said in a statement to CBS News Sacramento. "Carla retired in 2017 as a Fiscal Manager II with our Community Services Agency. On behalf of Stanislaus County, we extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, former colleagues, and all who knew and loved her during this difficult time."
For Cox, his mother will be remembered for her generosity and willingness to help anyone in need.
"She was kind and gentle and nice to everybody," he said. "She was just a real salt-of-the-earth kind of woman who would help anybody who needed it — including me."
