Valley Springs, CA…A 37 year old Valley Springs man was arrested for felony DUI in a rear end collision that caused major injuries to a Valley Springs couple. The collision happened last night on Hwy 26 near Baldwin Street. The suspect did not see a vehicle stopped in front of him and his utility truck drove a stopped Jeep Cherokee into the back of a stopped semi. Additional detail are enclosed…

PARTY TURPEN WAS DRIVING A TRUCK TRACTOR COMBINATION VEHICLE WESTBOUND ON SR-26 AND HAD COME TO A STOP DUE TO TRAFFIC CONTROL AT A CONSTRUCTION ZONE NEAR BALDWIN STREET. PARTY WATSON WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND SR-26, AND CAME TO A STOP BEHIND TURPEN. PARTY LEITNER WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON SR-26, APPROACHING BALDWIN STREET AT ABOUT 55 MPH. LEITNER FAILED TO SEE THE STOPPED TRAFFIC, AND REAR ENDED WATSON, PROPELLING WATSON INTO THE REAR OF TURPEN’S VEHICLE BEFORE GOING ACROSS THE EASTBOUND LANE OF SR-26, AND OFF THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. LEITNER CONTINUED WESTBOUND AND REAR ENDED THE BACK OF TURPEN’S VEHICLE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. WATSON AND HER PASSENGER SUFFERED MAJOR INJURIES. WATSON WAS TAKEN BY AIR AMBULANCE TO A TRAUMA CENTER IN MODESTO FOR TREATMENT, AND HER PASSENGER WAS TAKEN BY GROUND AMBULANCE TO MARK TWAIN MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT.

LEITNER IS SUSPECTED OF BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION AND WILL FACE FELONY CHARGES FOR CAUSING AN INJURY TRAFFIC COLLISION WHILE INTOXICATED.