Jeff Higbee of the Ontario Police Department confirmed to KTLA. The driver, 28-year-old Alex Mark Demetro of Union City, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence of drugs, said Sgt.
– It was just another test drive—a regular task in the daily routine of a used-car salesman. But for CarMax's Warren Smale, it turned out to be his last ride after a potential buyer crashed the red Corvette they were driving in Tuesday into a tree, killing the 43-year-old salesman in Ontario, Calif., and ending in the driver's arrest, the Los Angeles Times reports. Alex Demetro, 28, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs after witnesses say he lost control of the car, the Ontario Police Department tells KTLA. The Corvette was seen zipping around at speeds up to 70mph, witnesses say in a police report. "Today is an incredibly sad day for the CarMax family," a company statement read. "Our hearts and prayers go out to our associate's family." One witness tells KTLA that when she heard the accident, which took place around 12:45pm just a couple of blocks away from the CarMax lot, she headed outside and saw Smale still in the passenger seat and Demetro on the ground clutching his shoulder. "I think he was probably shocked," she says. Smale was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and died there. "That guy had no idea today would be his last day when he showed up to work today," another witness told KTLA. Demetro is being detained in a San Bernardino County jail on $100,000 bail and is expected to appear in court on Thursday, per court records. (A Houston car salesman was kidnapped during a test drive.)