Merced man arrested for felony DUI after major-injury crash on Highway 140
A 46-year-old Merced man has been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and causing a head-on collision on Highway 140 in Merced County on Sunday night.
Two women and the alleged DUI driver, Francisco Nicholas Juan, suffered major injuries as a result of the crash, the California Highway Patrol in Merced said in a Facebook post.
The incident involving two vehicles was reported at about 7:29 p.m.
According to CHP, Juan was driving a 2011 Toyota Prius eastbound on Highway 140 east of Rogers Road. A 25-year-old woman from Newman was driving a 2011 Nissan Altima westbound at about 55 mph.
For an unknown reason, Juan crossed over a solid double line and into the westbound lane. The vehicles crashed head-on, CHP said.
The Newman woman and her passenger, a 30-year-old woman also from Newman, sustained major injuries and were transported via air ambulance to Modesto-area hospitals.
Juan also suffered major injuries and was transported via air ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto.
All three were wearing seatbelts, CHP said.
Juan was determined to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash and was arrested for felony DUI, CHP said.
This traffic crash is under investigation. If anyone has information, you can contact Investigating Officer Jose Escobar at 209-356-6600.
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 10:23 AM.
