A 25-year-old man was behind bars Thursday for allegedly driving while under the influence of drugs, causing a collision that left seven people with minor injuries, then fleeing the scene.
William Mog of Bermuda Dunes was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of hit-and-run, driving under the influence and possession of narcotics, according to jail records. He was being held at the Indio jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Just after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle collision in the area of Monroe Street and Avenue 52 in Indio, sheriff’s officials said. Firefighters and California Highway Patrol officers were the first to arrive, finding seven people in one of the vehicles suffering from minor injuries.
While waiting for Riverside County sheriff’s deputies to arrive on scene, CHP officers detained Mog, who allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign and crashed into the vehicle containing the seven people, deputies said. Mog also “attempted to flee the scene on foot as his vehicle caught fire,” but he was caught a short time later, officials said.
Fire officials said that although flames were reported, there was no vehicle fire when they arrived.
Deputies said Mog appeared to be under the influence of an unidentified drug, but could not confirm which drug until tests results are received.
All seven people in the other car declined to be taken to a hospital.