According to the California Vehicle Code 21352(a): in the state of California, it is considered a crime if you get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol. National Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics indicate that each year for the past decade, there have been more than 10,000 motor vehicle collisions that involve drivers that are suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.
The Trinity Journal reports that a driver suspected of DUI is believed to have caused an accident on Highway 299 near Weaverville on Tuesday, leaving a motorcyclist severely injured.
The California Highway Patrol said in a statement that the accident happened at approximately 5:15 p.m. when the driver of a Subaru Outback was driving westbound on Highway 299 when he came to a stop along the shoulder of the road.
The driver, Clinton Neal Jenkins, 53, of Weaverville pulled away from the shoulder, making a U-turn to head eastbound when he crossed directly into the path of a motorcyclist.
The motorcyclist, Deram Keif Tucker, 28, of Loomis, was unable to stop his motorcycle and the two vehicles collided head-on. Tucker was thrown from his motorcycle and onto the pavement.
Tucker was transported to Mercy Medical Center in Redding for treatment of a possible broken leg. Jenkins and the two passengers with him at the time of the crash were uninjured.
Jenkins was arrested at the scene of the crash on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was booked into Trinity County Jail and faces the felony charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, causing injury and driving on a suspended or revoked license.
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