Shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 1, the California Highway Patrol was called to an accident on Highway 101. The accident happened on the freeway near Templeton.
52-year-old Arnold Johnson of Paso Robles was driving south on Highway 101. Shortly after 1:30 a.m., he spotted another vehicle coming toward him going the wrong direction.
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Trying to avoid a collision he swerved to the right, but not before the left front sides of the vehicles hit each other.
At the scene of the accident, police identified 36-year-old Monica Duggan of Atascadero to be the driver of the other vehicle. They determined that she may have been under the influence at the time of the accident.
After the accident, Duggan was taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center as a precaution. She ended up with a bloody nose as a result of the accident.
Johnson was accompanied in his car by one passenger. He was identified as 27-year-old Tyler Evangelista of Santa Margarita. The two were taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center for precautionary reasons.
For a first offense DUI in California, a lot of factors determine the type of sentence that they receive. There are fines and penalties that are assessed with a DUI. A lot depends on the circumstances surrounding the DUI. If there is damage or injury, fines can be thousands of dollars or more.
Jail time is possible, but for first time offenders, judges tend to lean toward probation instead of jail time.
License suspension is generally a six-month sentence for a DUI conviction. If the person convicted refused a blood alcohol test, then they receive an automatic one-year suspension.
Probation periods for a DUI can often be up to three years in length. This is also dependent on the circumstances revolving around the DUI.
The accident is still being investigated. There is a possibility that Duggan could face more charges once it has been completed.