The Modesto Bee reports on a suspected DUI crash that seriously injured 4 people.
24-year-old Charysteena Urbina is facing DUI charges after causing a head-on collision in southwest Modesto early on September 18th.
The collision, which occurred at about 4:50 a.m., happened on South Carpenter Road. Urbina, who was behind the wheel of a 1999 Saturn -door sedan, hit a Chevy Silverado pickup head-on.
Urbina was driving northbound when she allowed her vehicle to enter the southbound lanes, striking the Chevy driven by a 42-year-old Modesto man.
The driver of the pickup truck was critically injured and taken to Memorial Medical Center for treatment.
Urbina was also seriously injured, as were two passengers in her vehicle. 23-year-old Mariah Lujuan and 20-year-old Iliana Garcia Urbina were both taken to different hospitals for injuries.
Urbina was injured as well and taken to Doctors Medical Center.
Firefighters reported that it took 45 minutes to extricate the drivers of both vehicles.
Urbina was placed under arrest, but required hospitalization for her injuries, so she has not been booked into jail.
In California, DUI causing injury is a serious offense. While it can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor, this charge carries with it more severe penalties than a typical DUI. If the injuries that the DUI accident caused others are severe, it may be charged as a felony. A “serious” injury can mean something such as broken bones. In California, a person can be charged with a DUI causing injury even if their BAC is below .08% if it can be proven that they showed signs of mental or physical impairment.
