A Hollister man who struck four people while driving on the
wrong side of a San Juan Bautista street Wednesday was arrested
Thursday night after turning himself in.
A Hollister man who struck four people while driving on the wrong side of a San Juan Bautista street Wednesday was arrested Thursday night after turning himself in.
Carlo Alvarez, 18, of Hollister was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, driving under the influence and drinking while operating a motor vehicle, said Detective Sgt. Wes Walker of the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department.
Alvarez, who is being held in San Benito County Jail in lieu of $71,000 bail, was arrested after he surrendered to detectives at about 10:45 p.m. Thursday, Walker said.
“He agreed to turn himself in after we contacted him through his family,” Walker said this morning.
The names of the four people injured in Wednesday night’s accident have not been released because they have not been interviewed by investigators.
Three of the victims were treated at Hazel Hawkins Hospital and released by Thanksgiving morning.
The fourth victim, who was taken by helicopter to San Jose Valley Medical Center, was listed in stable condition and is expected to be released today, Walker said.
The four were leaving Dona Esther Restaurant in San Juan Bautista at about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday when Alvarez, driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe southbound on Third Street, crossed over the center line into the northbound lane and drove up onto the sidewalk, the sheriff’s department said.
The fast-moving SUV knocked struck the four victims, actually running over at least one of them, the sheriff’s department said.
The SUV was reportedly traveling so fast that it also knocked loose several support beams for a wooden awning in front of the restaurant and ripped a lamppost out of its sockets.
Alvarez’s vehicle continued rolling, dragging the posts and one victim until it crashed into a fence next to Mission Burger Cafe, the sheriff’s department said. He reportedly jumped out of the SUV and ran east toward Mission San Juan Bautista.
Alvarez is expected to be arraigned early next week in San Benito County Superior Court.
-Free Lance staff writer Linda Lee King contributed to this report.
