Novato Man Suspected of DUI in Rear-End Collision On US-101 Ramp to I-580

MARIN COUNTY, CA – A 27-year-old Novato man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and several other charges Wednesday night after he rear-ended another car on the transition ramp from US-101 southbound to I-580 eastbound in San Rafael, where traffic was backed up due to an earlier big-rig crash on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the California Highway Patrol reported Thursday.

At about 9:15 p.m., Marin CHP officers were advised of the collision and that injuries were involved, CHP Marin Area Spokesman Andrew Barclay said.

"Officers responded to the scene along with emergency personnel from San Rafael Fire and determined that three parties required transport to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries," Barclay said.

CHP's preliminary investigation of the crash indicated that Novato resident Edinson Deleon was driving a 2000 Toyota Celica southbound on US-101 and was transitioning to eastbound I-580 when he suddenly
approached stopped traffic on the transition ramp.

"Traffic on I-580 had been significantly impacted as a result of an earlier collision on the span of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge which contributed to the back-up," Barclay said. "Deleon was unable to stop his vehicle in time and collided with the rear of a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by 40-year-old Khaliah Denis of San Pablo."

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Deleon and his passenger, 24-year-old Leslie Miranda of Santa Rosa, were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries — Miranda's injuries being major but non-life-threatening, according to the spokesman.

Denis, the driver of the PT Cruiser, was also transported to a local hospital, where she was treated and released for minor injuries.

Meanwhile, officers went to the hospital where Deleon was to speak with him.

"... At the hospital they observed objective signs of intoxication and initiated a DUI investigation," Barclay said.

Officers also learned Deleon was wanted on a felony no-bail warrant out of Sonoma County.

Following his release from the hospital, Barclay said Deleon was arrested and booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of two counts of felony DUI causing injury, felony DUI causing injury with blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or above, misdemeanor driving while unlicensed, misdemeanor driving on a suspended driver's license for DUI, misdemeanor driving on suspended driver's license for DUI with excessive blood-alcohol content, and driving without a required ignition interlock device in his vehicle.

(Photo/banspy via Flickr Creative Commons)