Wrong-way driver arrested on DUI charge

A driver who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol caused a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer. A witness had alerted authorities to a wrong-way driver shortly beforehand, but police were not able to reach the scene in time to prevent the accident. No one was killed in the wreck, which California police expressed surprise over. The driver who apparently caused the accident was arrested for DUI.

The semi-truck driver was heading south on I-15 when he says he spotted headlights coming toward him. According to police, the alleged drunk driver was heading north in the southbound lanes of the interstate. The semi-truck driver says he tried to avoid a collision by shifting the vehicle into a different lane, but claims that the other driver moved into the same lane too. Both vehicles sustained serious front-end damage, but no one died.

Police performed field sobriety testing at the scene of the accident and determined that the wrong-way driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. He was subsequently arrested. He apparently suffered minor injuries in the wreck, but it is not clear if he received any type of medical care after being taken into police custody. The semi-truck driver was not injured.

DUI charges involving motor vehicle accidents or injury can be quite serious and lead to severe criminal consequences. Some California defendants are surprised to learn that they could even lose their licenses early on in the process, before they even show up in court. This is why it is so important for defendants to begin working on their defense plans in as timely a manner as possible.