Silicon Valley Woman Suspected Of DUI In Fatal Crash

SILICON VALLEY, CA -- A Palo Alto woman has been arrested in an alleged DUI crash Saturday night on El Camino Real that left one of her passengers dead and another injured, Palo Alto police said. Vera Shpilman, 53, was booked into Santa Clara County jail following the collision reported at about 10:40 p.m., police said.

Shpilman is suspected of vehicular manslaughter causing injury and driving under the influence of alcohol in the collision that occurred as she "drifted out of the lanes of traffic, and struck an unoccupied vehicle parked along the west curb line" of the 3300 block of El Camino Real, police said.

Palo Alto police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene and found two vehicles in the roadway; trapped inside the vehicle driven by Shpilman were two injured passengers, according to police. The two were both transported to an area hospital, where one died from their injuries and the other survived.

The deceased has been identified by the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office as Lyubov Rapoport, an 80-year-old Palo Alto woman.

Police believe the initial collision turned the vehicle sideways and into the middle lane of the roadway; it was then struck by another southbound vehicle.

The second vehicle was carrying no passengers and the driver was not injured.

Sphilman also was not injured, police said.

The investigation into the crash is continuing. Police asked anyone with information about the incident to call 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

Photo via Palo Alto Police Department