A 33-year-old Turlock man was booked into jail on DUI and felony hit-and-run charges after a head-on crash killed an elderly passenger Thursday morning in Merced County.
The California Highway Patrol reports that a southbound Audi SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed when it crossed the centerline near Sycamore Street, just north of Bloss Avenue, striking a northbound Chevrolet SUV head-on around 10 a.m. The Audi's driver abandoned the vehicle and ran into a nearby orchard before officers, guided by witnesses, located and captured him near Augusta Avenue and Sycamore Street.
An 83-year-old Delhi woman riding in the Chevrolet was rushed to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The Chevrolet's driver, an 84-year-old Delhi man, was taken to Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock with moderate injuries.
The Audi's driver was identified as Jose Perez Hernandez, 33, of Turlock. He was treated at Mercy Medical Center in Merced before being booked into the Merced County Jail.
The California Highway Patrol continues its investigation into the crash.