The police on Monday, February 24th, identified and arrested Alex Waddle, 33, of Capitola, as the man who caused the multi-vehicle crash on Highway 17. He got arrested after getting released from the hospital, where he was receiving treatment.

Waddle is currently in police custody and is facing charges for driving under the influence. He is also charged with DUI causing bodily harm and faces not less than a year in county jail and a $1000 fine if convicted of a misdemeanor.

Waddle also faces having his driving privileges taken away for 12 months. But if he faces trial for a felony DUI, he will get three years in county jail, a fine of $5000, and driver’s license suspension for about three years.

The accident the offender caused happened on Thursday, February 20th, at about 1 a.m. close to Los Gatos. Waddle, driving a 1995 Jeep, was traveling south on a north lane when he crashed into a 2017 Acura carrying four people.

The impact of the collision made the Jeep flip, with the driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, getting ejected before it caught fire. A 2007 Yamaha motorcycle on the roadway skidded from the debris from the accident, throwing its rider on the ground.

The motorcyclist sustained significant injuries and was taken to the hospital alongside Waddle, and the occupants of the Acura. The latter only had mild bruises and scrapes.

The burning Jeep got extinguished by the Santa Clara County Fire Department. Traffic on the highway was redirected for two hours while it got cleaned up, and the California Highway Patrol are still investigating the crash.

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