Two people suffer major injuries in suspected DUI collision in Merced County, CHP says

A driver and passenger suffered major injuries in a suspected DUI traffic crash in Merced County on Sunday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to CHP Officer Eric Zuniga, Merced area units responded to the area of Shaffer Road and Eucalyptus Avenue northeast of Winton, after the Merced Communications Center was advised of a two-vehicle collision involving an overturned vehicle.

According to Cal Fire, emergency crews were dispatched at about 2:30 a.m.

The CHP said officers arrived on scene and found the driver of a Honda Accord, identified as Alejandro Cortes Mandujano, partially ejected through the front windshield of the vehicle.

A right front female passenger in the Honda who was not identified was partially ejected out of the opened passenger door, according to the CHP.

The second vehicle involved in the collision, a Dodge Durango, was found in the northeast corner of the intersection on its passenger side, authorities said. The CHP said the driver of the vehicle identified as Wendy Bojorquez Gutierrez and a right front passenger identified as Nelson Heredia, were able to exit and were sitting on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

According to authorities, an investigation revealed that the Dodge was traveling northbound on Shaffer Road at about 50 mph approaching the intersection with Eucalyptus Avenue. The CHP said the Honda was traveling eastbound on Eucalyptus approaching the intersection. According to authorities, it is unclear if the driver of the Honda failed to stop at a stop sign, or stopped and pulled out into the intersection into the path of the Dodge, resulting in the front end of the Dodge striking the passenger side of the Honda.

Authorities said the Honda sustained major intrusion damage to both sides of the vehicle. According to the CHP, neither the driver nor the passenger were wearing seat belts. The CHP said the driver of the Honda was determined to be under the influence of alcohol.

Both occupants of the Honda had to be extricated from the vehicle and Mandujano was placed under arrest on suspicion of DUI, the CHP said.

Both Mandujano and his passenger suffered major injuries in the collision, according to the CHP. Mandujano was transported by air ambulance to a Modesto hospital with major injuries and the passenger was flown to a different Modesto hospital with major injuries, authorities said.

The driver of the Dodge suffered minor injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Merced, according to the CHP.

Authorities said Mandujano will be treated for his and booked into Merced County Jail. The collision is still under investigation, according to the CHP.

This story was originally published June 21, 2020 at 6:23 PM.