Woman dies after she's shot and crashes car in Vallejo

VALLEJO, Calif. - A woman was found dead in a crashed Honda Accord in Vallejo early Friday after shots were fired.

It happened near Tennessee Street and Mare Island Way at about 12:30 a.m.

Vallejo police Sgt. Rashad Hollis said it's not yet known if she died from gunfire, injuries from the crash or a combination of both.  

"She did suffer from at least one gunshot wound," Hollis said, adding, "The collision was severe enough where she needed to be extricated from the vehicle."

Police say the woman was the driver and only person in the Honda. Her name has not been released. 

"The motive and circumstances surrounding this case are still under investigation," Hollis said.

Vallejo attorney Melissa Nold said, "It's very concerning. It's unusual, particularly in crimes of gun violence. Women are not usually victims of random gun violence."

While it's unclear whether the shooting was targeted or random, Nold says she's concerned that yet another woman has lost her life.

Nold represents the family of Sharmell Mitchell, who died in July in a three-car crash at Tennessee and Vervais while fleeing from gunfire after an earlier fender-bender. A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murder in Mitchell's death. 

But no arrests have been reported in the latest incident.

"I'm just hoping and praying it wasn't, you know, the horrible things we think it could be, because it's concerning for the women in the Vallejo community that things like this are happening," Nold said.

Vallejo Mayor Robert McConnell said of the violence, "It's wrong and it's tragic and it needs to stop. We're just a nation consumed with settling disputes through weapons and not working out problems. We need to start teaching anger management."

The latest homicide happened across from Jody Holzworth's home in Vallejo Heights. She says the city is making efforts to crack down on crime but isn't staying ahead of it.

"I'm extremely concerned," Holzworth said. "I do hear shots in Vallejo occasionally and crashes and sideshows, so we are struggling in Vallejo on crime."

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan