Alleged DUI driver arrested after rollover crash near Snelling, CHP says

A Merced woman was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence Sunday, following a solo-vehicle rollover collision in Merced County, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to Officer Lori Gonzales, authorities responded to the crash at about 4:16 p.m. in the area of Snelling Road and East Youd Road, just south of Snelling.

According to Gonzales, the 19-year-old Merced woman was driving a 1998 Honda sedan southbound on Snelling Road at an unknown speed.

The car was carrying four passengers: a 21-year-old man in the front passenger seat, and two 19-year-old female passengers and a 17-year-old male passenger in the back, according to CHP.

The woman moved over into the northbound lane in an attempt to pass a slower moving vehicle in front of her.

Meanwhile, another vehicle was approaching in the northbound lane. The front passenger in the woman’s car allegedly grabbed the steering wheel for unknown reasons, turning the wheel to the right.

Gonzales said the driver lost control of the vehicle, which left the west side of the roadway, where it entered a field and overturned multiple times.

According to Sgt. Tatanka Mafana, none of the vehicle’s occupants were ejected during the collision.

The driver of the vehicle has been arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, according to the CHP.

All of the vehicle’s occupants sustained minor injuries and have been taken to Modesto area hospitals, according to Mafana.

The crash remains under investigation, according to authorities.

This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 7:13 PM.