Keyes man arrested in fatal crash near Los Banos

A Keyes man was arrested following a crash that killed a Merced man north of Los Banos early Sunday.

James Villarreal Sotelo, 18, suffered minor injuries in the collision on Highway 165 north of Wolfsen Road but refused medical treatment. He was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drug impairment, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The victim in the crash was 25-year-old Joseph Silven, who was driving a 1997 Honda Civic southbound on Highway 165.

The crash occurred about 3:45 a.m. Sotelo was northbound in a 2000 Chrysler Voyager and allowed the van to veer into the southbound lane, where he struck Silven head-on.

Silven’s Honda went off the roadway and into a drainage ditch on the west side. Silven was pronounced dead at the scene. Sotelo’s van went back across the northbound lane and into the drainage ditch on the east.

This story was originally published December 7, 2015 at 9:06 AM with the headline "Keyes man arrested in fatal crash near Los Banos."