Wrong-way driver who crashed into Modesto police car, injuring officer, pleads guilty

A 25-year-old man on Monday agreed to a plea deal with a seven-year prison sentence for driving drunk and crashing into a Modesto police car earlier this year, which seriously injured Officer Juan Arroyo.

Nazario Daniel Castillo, of Modesto, crashed into the patrol car after he reportedly led authorities in a high-speed pursuit that started on Highway 99 in north Modesto. The chase ended with the crash on the other side of town near the airport neighborhood.

The officer was on his way to lay down some spike strips when Castillo’s pickup struck his car.

Castillo on Monday afternoon pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon involving a vehicle. Deputy District Attorney John R. Mayne said the conviction on the assault charge means Castillo’s driver’s license will be revoked for the rest of his life.

Gil Somera, Castillo’s attorney, said in court that the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has a rehabilitation process in which his client can apply to have his driver’s license reinstated.

Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Dawna Reeves advised Somera and his client that she is not aware of any such process, and the law dictates a lifetime ban of his driver’s license with this assault conviction. Castillo informed the judge that he’s well aware of the circumstances surrounding and wished to proceed with the plea deal.

Castillo also pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. Mayne told the judge that Castillo’s blood alcohol content was 0.17 percent, slightly more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped a charge of driving the wrong way to evade a peace officer. Another DUI charge stemming from the same incident also was dropped.

The defendant’s charges included an enhancement for causing great bodily injury. Arroyo’s injuries included a compound fracture, broken bones, a bruised lung and a skull fracture.

Mayne told the judge that Arroyo recently underwent another surgery, this time to repair the function in one of his arms. The prosecutor said Arroyo’s recovery continues, but the officer plans on returning to duty.

The California Highway Patrol said Castillo was ejected from his pickup and suffered moderate injuries. Castillo was treated at a local hospital before he was booked at the Stanislaus County Jail and later charged with the crash.

It occurred about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 16 near the intersection of Yosemite Boulevard and Santa Ana Avenue in Modesto. The CHP first spotted Castillo driving a Toyota Tundra pickup about 30 minutes before the crash.

Castillo was heading north on Highway 99’s southbound lanes. CHP officers in a patrol car heading south on the highway swerved to avoid Castillo in the oncoming pickup, according to the CHP.

Mayne told the judge that Castillo continued heading the wrong way, exiting the highway on the Standiford Avenue on-ramp.

The CHP said Castillo’s pickup then headed east on Standiford, before another CHP patrol unit tried to pull him over. But the pickup re-entered Highway 99, heading south before exiting at Tuolumne Boulevard and heading east.

The police officer was heading west on Yosemite Boulevard to assist in the chase. Castillo was heading north on Santa Ana Avenue, when his pickup broadsided Arroyo’s patrol car.

The prosecutor said in court that Castillo’s pickup reached speeds of 85 mph on Yosemite Boulevard. Mayne also said Castillo’s pickup ran a stop sign at 50 mph moments before crashing into the patrol car, flinging the police vehicle into a home’s yard.

Mayne told the judge that Arroyo was hospitalized for weeks. Arroyo has said he received a lot of support during his recovery — locally and nationally, which included cards and letters from children he and his twin brother, Luis, also an officer, visited at a school. In April, he threw out the first pitch at a Modesto Nuts baseball game.

Castillo has been in custody since the day of the crash. Judge Reeves scheduled him to return to court Sept. 5, when he will be formally sentenced. Arroyo and his family will have an opportunity to speak in court at next month’s hearing.

The judge told Castillo that the assault charge is considered a strike under the state’s “Three Strikes” law, and a prison sentence could be doubled if he is convicted of another felony. She also told Castillo that his DUI conviction could result in a longer sentence if he’s convicted of another DUI.

Thanks for your strong interest in local journalism. We rely on readers like you more than ever before, and we currently offer free access to five stories a month. We hope you see value in supporting us further with a digital subscription to help ensure we can provide strong local journalism for many years to come.

This story was originally published August 6, 2018 at 4:54 PM.