FREMONT — A San Jose man has been charged with vehicular manslaughter for allegedly killing an Oakley woman in an early morning drunk driving crash, court records show.
Sayed Maqsoodi, 21, is charged with killing 21-year-old Kassie Watkins in the Feb. 22 crash on Interstate 680 near the Scott Creek Road exit in Fremont. The crash occurred around 2:21 a.m. between a Toyota containing Watkins and a Honda that Maqsoodi was driving, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Police say Maqsoodi refused to take a sobriety test, but there were obvious signs he was drunk, including, “red/watery eyes, slurred speech, unsteady gait, and an odor of an alcoholic beverage” emanating from him. He was arrested at the scene of the crash.
Prosecutors charged Maqsoodi with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated on March 7. He posted $60,000 bail and has been released from jail, court records show.
An online fundraiser for Watkins said she left behind two daughters, aged 2 and 3.
“Kassie was a force to be reckoned with, a kind, loving, and just all-around beautiful human being, who will be terribly missed by all those who had the privilege to know and love her,” the fundraiser says. “Kassie was a fighter who never backed down, and her loss will be felt every day.”