California Highway Patrol officers arrested a person suspected of driving drunk after he allegedly fled from the scene of a collision Friday night near Byron.
Around 11 p.m., officers responded to a call regarding a two-vehicle collision on Byron Highway, just south of state Highway 4, in unincorporated Contra Costa County, according to the CHP.
While en route, officers learned the driver of one of the vehicles involved in the collision had fled the scene on foot.
Upon arrival, officers observed an Audi sedan in the roadway with major front-end damage and a Ford Explorer that appeared to have struck a tree, CHP officials said.
Officers searched the area and were able to locate the driver ofthe Audi at a nearby gas station.
After conducting a preliminary investigation, officers determined the driver of the Audi was traveling at a high rate of speed and attempted to pass the Ford Explorer by using the southbound lanes.
The driver of the Audi, however, had to swerve back into the northbound lane to avoid colliding with oncoming traffic, according to the CHP.
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The driver's quick movement caused his Audi to collide with the back of the Explorer, which then caused the Explorer to crash into a tree.
The Audi sustained significant damage and the driver ended up fleeing on foot, CHP officials said.
Fire personnel had to extricate the five people who were inside the Ford Explorer, three of which were children.
Two of the children suffered major injuries, including fractured bones, and were airlifted to University of California at San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland. The other child suffered minor abrasions and was also taken to the children's hospital by ambulance.
The two front passengers in the Explorer, the parents of the children, also suffered major injuries, including broken bones, and were taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, according to the CHP.
Officers concluded the driver of the Audi, whose identity has not yet been released, was driving while under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence and hit-and-run, CHP officials said.
