Police arrested a suspected drunk driver who crashed into a house in Hollister the night of Dec. 10.
About 6:24pm, Hollister police officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Hamilton Drive on a report that a vehicle crashed into a residence. When officers arrived, they located the vehicle that had run into the home, police said.
The speeding vehicle went through a wall on the west side of the home. The front end of the car came to rest in one of the bedrooms of the home. A witness who lives in the damaged house described the impact as an “explosion,” according to police.
A photo of the accident, released by police, shows the vehicle—a Dodge sports car—within a gaping hole in the exterior wall of the home. The front of the car is inside the home while the rear of the vehicle is outside, the picture shows.
“Fortunately, no one in the house was injured as a result of the crash,” reads a press release from Hollister police.
The driver of the car, later identified as Joel Banuelos Ledesma, was found by police a short distance from the residence. He had suffered a leg injury, police said. Police also located a passenger in the wrecked vehicle. The passenger was injured, and flown to a trauma center for treatment.
As officers interviewed Ledesma, they noticed he was showing signs of intoxication, police said. Field sobriety tests revealed a “high level (of) intoxication,” and drugs were found inside the vehicle.
Ledesma was transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in the collision. He was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and drug charges, according to police.
Anyone with information about this case can call Hollister Police Officer Martin-DelCampo at (831) 636-4330. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip hotline at 800-87-CRIME. Information provided to WeTip may qualify for a reward.
