Authorities believe alcohol, marijuana and fast driving helped
fuel a single-car accident on a windy road in the hills east of
Gilroy Wednesday night.
GILROY – Authorities believe alcohol, marijuana and fast driving helped fuel a single-car accident on a windy road in the hills east of Gilroy Wednesday night that sent five young people to the hospital and left the driver of the car facing a badly broken leg and drunken driving charges.
According to the California Highway Patrol, 19-year-old Robert Brancato Jr. of Gilroy was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence after preliminary tests showed alcohol in his system and he allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana prior to the accident on windy Gilroy Hot Springs Road.
“Apparently they’d been up toward Gilroy Hot Springs and they’d been out partying,” CHP Officer Brad Voyles said. “They were on their way back to Gilroy and they crashed.”
According to the CHP, Brancato and his four passengers – including three Gilroy teens – were westbound on the rural road east of Coyote Lake Road at a high rate of speed at about 9:55 p.m. Wednesday when Brancato lost control of the 2002 Honda Civic he was driving.
Brancato ran off the road to the right and overcorrected to the left before the left front of the Honda stuck the base of an oak tree on the northern edge of the roadway and came to a rest, blocking both lanes, officers said.
Emergency workers were summoned after passengers ran to a nearby house to call for help. Brancato and passenger Sean Grzyis, also 19 and from Gilroy, were airlifted to San Jose Medical Center.
According to the CHP, Brancato sustained major injuries, including an open compound fracture of his right leg and a substantial cut above his left eye. Grzyis sustained moderate injuries, including bumps, bruises and a bloody nose.
The three other passengers – 18-year-old Daniel Vargas of Gilroy, 20-year-old Cesar Baro of Aptos and a 17-year-old Gilroy girl whose name was not released because she is a minor – visited St. Louise Hospital after complaining of pain.
All of the vehicle’s occupants were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash, the CHP said.
A breath test administered at the hospital showed alcohol on Brancato’s breath and officers also allegedly saw symptoms of possible drug use during sobriety tests, officers said. A substance that appeared to be marijuana was found at the scene.
Based on symptoms observed during the sobriety test, Voyles said officers believe other drugs may have been involved and plan to subject Brancato to further blood tests.
Voyles said the car was apparently traveling between 60 and 65 mph on the windy rural road when the crash occurred. The speed limit on the road is 55 mph, but there are very few spots where drivers can safely reach that speed, he said.
