Three San Benito County residents and one dog were injured over
the past two days from alcohol-related accidents, according to the
California Highway Patrol.
n By Erin Musgrave
Staff Writer
Hollister – Three San Benito County residents and one dog were injured over the past two days from alcohol-related accidents, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The drivers who caused the accidents because they were driving under the influence were arrested by the CHP.
Hollister resident Manuel Salvador Rodriguez, 33, was arrested for felony driving under the influence, causing bodily injury to another person and felony hit and run after he collided head-on with Hollister resident Joanne Lydia Beltran on Wednesday, according to the CHP.
Beltran suffered an ankle injury and pain to her chest, shoulders and neck and was taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital, and Rodriguez suffered abrasions to his chest from the seat belt and an ankle injury, said CHP Officer Terry Mayes.
Rodriguez was traveling westbound at 60 mph on San Justo Road, east of San Juan Road in a 1992 Mercury Sable around 5:40pm when he came around a curve, crossed over the double yellow line and collided with Beltran’s 2003 Ford Windstar van, Mayes said.
After the collision, Rodriguez fled the scene on foot, and CHP officers were able to identify him after they ran his car’s license plate and contacted his wife, Mayes said.
“His wife said he was injured in an accident and his employer directed him to go to the hospital,” Mayes said.
Assuming he went to Hazel Hawkins, officers went to the hospital but found no one there by his name, Mayes said. While they were there a call came over from Pinnacle Urgent Care that they were referring someone over by that name, she said.
“(An officer) went over to Pinnacle and when he walks in they make eye contact, the guy gets up and tries to split,” she said.
The officer apprehended Rodriguez, who admitted he was driving the vehicle and was then arrested, Mayes said.
Both vehicles sustained major damage, she said.
Aromas resident Benny Lee Jerome, 45, was arrested for misdemeanor driving under the influence at 4:30pm on Thursday after he collided head-on with a tree on the north shoulder of Anzar Road, according to the CHP.
Jerome suffered a dislocated hip and broken pelvis and was taken by CALSTAR to San Jose Medical Center for surgery, and his dog that was in the car with him suffered moderate injuries and was placed in the care of the San Benito County Animal Control, according to the CHP.
Jerome was traveling westbound on Anzar Road, approaching Forest Road, and due to his intoxication he let his car run off the road and hit a tree, according to the CHP. Jerome crawled out of the vehicle before emergency personnel arrived, according to the CHP.
Jerome’s 1999 Ford Explorer sustained major damage, and Jerome was saved from fatal injuries by using his seat belt, according to the CHP.
