One dead, another arrested after car runs off Hwy. 101 in Arroyo Grande

Seriously injured driver arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and DUI in single-vehicle wreck

Leah Etling

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A single-vehicle accident south of El Campo Road in Arroyo Grande on Sunday morning led to the death of a passenger in the car and the arrest of the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence and felony manslaughter.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Apolinar M. Rodriguez, 28, of Watsonville was driving a 1990 Honda Accord southbound on Highway 101 around 9:15 a. m. Sunday. Other southbound drivers had called 911 to report erratic driving from the vehicle, the CHP said.

The car had been located by a CHP plane, but not yet contacted by officers on the ground, when the driver lost control and veered off the roadway. The car went down a 30-foot embankment, hit a tree and turned over.

A CHP officer who arrived at the scene of the accident found one passenger had been ejected from the car and two more occupants were still inside. According to the officer, a fire had started in the engine compartment, which he was able to put out. The male passenger in the right front seat of the Accord died at the scene, according to the CHP. His identity has not been released.

Rodriguez and passenger Benito Salvador, 18, of Watsonville had major injuries and were transported to Arroyo Grande Hospital for treatment.