A suspected drunken driver suffered major injuries Friday afternoon in a crash on Highway 101 just north of Santa Maria, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred shortly after 1 p.m. when Michael Sean Rea, 45, of Santa Maria was northbound on the freeway at a high rate of speed, using the center median to pass traffic, the CHP said.
Rea lost control of his 2015 Nissan in the left-hand lane, the CHP said, and struck the center divider.
He then veered back into the left-hand lane and struck a 2024 GMC driven by a 30-year-old Yuba City man, the CHP said.
Rea’s vehicle continued onto the right-hand shoulder, where it slammed into a eucalyptus tree and caught fire.
He was taken by AMR ambulance to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, where he was being treated for his injuries.
Details on his condition were not available.
He was placed under arrest at the hospital on suspicion of DUI, the CHP said.
The other driver’s name was not released.
The investigation into the crash was continuing, with charges pending with the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.