Hollister
– A local man was arrested by the California Highway Patrol
early Thursday morning after allegedly hitting another motorist on
Highway 156 while driving a stolen vehicle while intoxicated.
Hollister – A local man was arrested by the California Highway Patrol early Thursday morning after allegedly hitting another motorist on Highway 156 while driving a stolen vehicle while intoxicated.
Michael Cecena, 21, was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of stolen property and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, CHP Officer Chris Armstrong said .
Officers were called to the scene after Cecena allegedly hit a 1995 Ford Windstar van that was stopped at a traffic signal on Highway 156 near Mitchell Road. After the collision, Cecena and another passenger allegedly fled the 1998 Chevy pickup truck they had been driving, Armstrong said. The truck was stolen, he said. Cecena and the passenger, whom police have not identified, were later found by San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies and local residents. Cecena was arrested by CHP officers. Two passengers from the rear-ended van were taken by ambulance to Hazel Hawkins Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and released Thursday afternoon.
CHP officers believe Cecena was under the influence of a controlled substance and driving at unsafe speeds at the time of the collision, but the incident is still being investigated, Armstrong said.
“This could have resulted in fatal injuries,” he said. “Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol impairs a person’s decision-making ability and reaction time. This could have been much worse.”
Cecena is being held at the San Benito County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. If convicted of a felony DUI, he could face up to one year in state prison or county jail, according to the California Penal Code.
