Felony charges are expected to be filed Thursday against a 36-year-old man suspected of driving under the influence and causing a four-vehicle crash at a Temecula intersection that injured seven people, two seriously.
Matthew Thomas Jackson of Temecula was arrested and booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta Sunday on suspicion of DUI resulting in great bodily injury and hit-and-run resulting in injuries.
Jackson is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
His case was under review Wednesday by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Joey Sinz, the multi-vehicle collision happened just after 7 p.m. Sunday on Butterfield Stage Road at Channel Street.
Sinz alleged Jackson was headed southbound in a car that plowed through a red traffic signal, slamming into another vehicle going westbound on Channel.
The collision impacted two other vehicles, as well, and after all of them came to rest, the suspect allegedly bailed out of his car and ran away, according to the sergeant.
“Witnesses provided deputies with the suspect’s direction of travel, and deputies located and detained him,” Sinz said.
Jackson did not require hospitalization. Deputies determined that he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
County fire department personnel reached the location within minutes and identified a total of seven patients — “two with serious injuries, two with moderate injuries and three who were assessed and declined further treatment,” according to the agency.
The four with moderate to serious injuries were taken to a regional trauma center for treatment and are expected to recover.
Butterfield Stage was closed at the scene for several hours while deputies conducted a preliminary investigation.
Background information on the suspect was unavailable.