A 20-year-old Santa Barbara man was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of felony DUI and felony hit-and-run after police say he fled two separate traffic collisions on the Westside within minutes, leaving at least two people injured.
According to the Santa Barbara Police Department, officers were first dispatched at approximately 9:17 p.m. on January 21 to a reported hit-and-run involving two vehicles at the intersection of Wentworth Avenue and West Cota Street. One person involved in that crash was injured, while the other party reportedly fled the scene before officers arrived.
As officers were responding to the first accident, they were flagged down by a citizen near the intersection of San Pascual Street and Del Monte Avenue regarding a second collision that had just occurred.
Police said the second crash also resulted in injuries to one of the parties involved. The suspect vehicle was described as a gray Hyundai Elantra, and the driver again fled the scene.
Officers were directed by a citizen to the suspect vehicle in the 600 block of Wentworth Avenue, where the driver was taken into custody.
The suspect was identified as Jhonathan Duran-Carrasco, 20, of Santa Barbara.
Police said Duran-Carrasco was “showing signs of being under the influence of alcohol,” and a DUI investigation was conducted. He was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, felony hit-and-run, and committing a felony while out on bail.
The injured parties from the San Pascual and Del Monte collision were treated at the scene, according to police.
Additional officers responded to the original collision at Wentworth and West Cota to provide aid and investigate the hit-and-run. The injured party from that crash was transported to the hospital for further treatment.
“Neither the suspect vehicle nor the suspect driver from this collision were on the scene when the officers arrived,” police said in regards to the first crash.
The investigation into the first collision remains ongoing, and SBPD said additional investigative work is being conducted “to ensure the suspect is properly identified.”
