A crash on Sunday morning, March 1st, on Highway 101, Atascadero, 93 miles from Bakersfield, California, left two people injured. Authorities identified them as Arnold Johnson, 52, of Paso Robles, and Tyler Evangelista, 27, of Santa Margarita.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the accident which occurred on Highway 101 was caused by a female driver driving under the influence. She got identified as Monica Duggan, 36.

Duggan was traveling north on the southbound lanes of the highway at about 1:30 a.m. At the same time, a car driven by Johnson was coming from the road, heading south.

The injured driver saw the wrong-way Duggan and swerved to avoid a head-on collision with her. He wasn’t fast enough as he ended up hitting the vehicle on the side, which sent the two cars spinning on the roadway.

Johnson and Evangelista suffered severe injuries and got transported to the Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center for treatment. Duggan was taken to the same hospital with a nose bleed but had no critical wound.

Police officers later arrested the Atascadero resident on suspicion of DUI and will charge her accordingly. Wrong-way driving is a misdemeanor offense under the California Vehicle Code, and offenders are liable to pay a fine.

However, where a DUI is involved, and there’s grievous bodily harm, the person will face a criminal charge for a misdemeanor or felony DUI depending on the circumstances of the case. Upon conviction, the offender faces jail time not less than a year, a fine, or both.

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