Chico,CA : Chico State student arrested on DUI charge in Esplanade crash on October, Tuesday 17th 2017

A Chico State University student was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing a pickup into a tree Tuesday morning on The Esplanade, police said.

Chico police said Ali Ali, 21, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs after clipping a car and then crashing into a tree at the intersection of West Seventh Avenue and The Esplanade.

Chico police Sgt. Todd Lefkowitz said Ali likely was driving under the influence of prescription medication.

The crash, which happened about 9:30 a.m., knocked out power to street lights at the intersection and caused police to block southbound lanes in the area for a period.

The Esplanade was reopened about 10:40 a.m.

Lefkowitz said Ali was speeding along the southbound lanes of The Esplanade in a red Toyota Tundra and first smacked into the rear end of a Mercedes-Benz, causing two of the truck’s wheels to lift off the ground.

The sergeant said Ali apparently overcorrected when the truck regained traction and crashed into a tree in front of Nash’s Restaurant.

There were two passengers in the pickup, and one was taken to a hospital for injuries not directly related to Tuesday’s crash, he said.

Ali did not appear hurt.

The pickup sustained significant front-end damage, and debris from the wreck strewed the southbound lanes of The Esplanade.

One witness said he was working nearby when he heard the sound of tires screeching and ran toward the roadway. He said the impact of the crash was “intense.”

“He hit dead in the center of that tree, and he was flying, too,” the worker said. “He was flying.”

The witness said he and a co-worker were eventually able to open the truck’s doors and see that everyone appeared to be OK.

Source :
Chico State student arrested on DUI charge in Esplanade crash