$1 Million Bail for Accused Road Rage Driver

Navy Chief Petty Officer Zacharia Buob, 39, was killed on his motorcycle on May 29 in an alleged road rage crash with driver Darla Jackson on I-5 in Chula Vista

A judge set $1 million bail for a San Diego woman accused of killing an active duty service member in an apparent road rage incident.

In an arraignment Tuesday, Imperial Beach resident Darla Jackson, 26, was charged. The prosecution asked for $3 million bail but the judge set bail lower. Jackson's mother, Margie, cried and shook in court today as the bail was announced. 

Jackson's attorney, Stephen Cline, said she is sorry and explained how the deadly crash happened. 

"The guy sped past her with a motorcycle, he got mad about something, he kicked her car, she chased after him and they collided in the end when they ran into traffic," Cline said. 

On May 28, at around 5:30 p.m., Jackson was driving her black Nissan Altima northbound on Interstate 5 near E Street in Chula Vista when officials said she got into some type of dispute on the roadway with U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Zacharia Buob, who was on his motorcycle.

After the two drivers transitioned from I-5 to eastbound State Route 54 and passed National City Boulevard, Jackson allegedly intentionally hit Buob’s motorcycle, running him over, California Highway Patrol officials said.

Buob was critically injured in the crash and died a short time later at a local hospital. Jackson was arrested and now faces one count of murder in what investigators are calling an act of road rage.

A witness to the incident captured the alleged road rage on cellphone video just moments before the deadly collision. In the footage, a dark-colored car can be seen tailing a motorcycle.

Court records show two ex-boyfriends filed for temporary restraining orders against Jackson, weeks apart from each other. 

Buob’s mother, Kathy, is now left with the pain of her son’s death, planning a funeral for him. She released a statement to NBC 7 Tuesday, titled “Memories of Zach Buob," that called him "a loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend."

Read the statement in full by clicking here. 

Kathy said the family simply had no comment about Jackson, the alleged road rage driver.

Jackson’s mother, Margie Jackson, told NBC 7 her daughter is not a murderer and the crash was an accident.

"They made it sound like she viciously went after him," said Margie. "Please, who does that? No. Not my daughter."
 

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