A suspected drugged driver who allegedly caused a five-vehicle wreck that left a person critically injured on Interstate 15 in Temecula was being held in lieu of $75,000 bail Monday.
Rolando Neil Dominguez of Escondido was arrested and booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta Sunday on suspicion of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury and hit-and-run.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash happened about 5:15 p.m. Sunday on northbound I-15, just south of Temecula Parkway.
Officer Mike Lassig alleged that Dominguez was at the wheel of a 2016 Dodge Dart that plowed into a 2014 Dodge Impala, triggering a fire and chain collision that additionally involved a Nissan Altima, Ford F-150 pickup and Jeep Cherokee.
“Dominguez fled the scene on foot,” Lassig said. “He was apprehended on the Temecula Parkway off-ramp.”
Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location within a few minutes and found the Dart and Impala burning. Firefighters knocked down the flames a short time later.
Lassig said the Impala passenger, 57-year-old Margie Urrieta of Indio, suffered major injuries and was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for treatment. She’s in stable but critical condition.
The 57-year-old Indio man driving the Impala suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from the hospital.
Dominguez suffered minor injuries, for which he was treated prior to being booked into the Murrieta jail, according to Lassig.
No one else was hurt.
The northbound I-15 was blocked except for an auxiliary lane available to construction crews working at the location, and that was opened to all traffic while the rest of the freeway was cleared of wreckage and the preliminary investigation was conducted, Lassig said.
No background information was available on Dominguez.