Teen arrested in suspected DUI crash that caused major injuries to passenger

A Sonora teen was arrested and one of his passengers suffered major injuries when he drove off a road and down a steep, 70-foot embankment.

The 16-year-old driver was with two other teens in a Ford F-150 when he lost control of the vehicle while traveling south at 45 mph through a left hand curve on Joaquin Gully Road in Twain Harte on Saturday night.

“Due to his level of alcohol intoxication, he failed to negotiate the curve and lost control of the vehicle,” according to a press release from the California Highway Patrol.

The pickup traveled off the road and through a large manzanita plant, then continued down a steep embankment and collided with several trees and under-brush before overturning.

The pickup came to rest on its left side, approximately 70 feet down the embankment, according to the CHP.

All of the airbags within the vehicle deployed. The driver was properly restrained and sustained minor injuries.

Nathaniel Mata of Jamestown and Zackary Bisset of Sonora, both 16, were passengers in the vehicle and were properly restrained.

Bisset escaped injuries but Mata sustained major injuries.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and booked into the Mother Lode Regional Juvenile Detention Facility. Due to his arrest, his name was not released by CHP.

This story was originally published November 13, 2018 at 2:40 PM.