Rescuers spent about an hour early Saturday morning prying apart a vehicle with the driver pinned inside after a violent crash into a light pole along Highway 101 at Donovan Road.
The driver, Oscar G. Tinoco, 21, remained hospitalized in critical condition at Marian Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said Saturday afternoon.
Tinoco is believed to have suffered internal injuries in his chest and abdomen area after the early morning crash, said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Ben Ruth.
A sample of Tinoco's blood was collected at Marian and alcohol was found in his system, Ruth said.
“If he survives,” Ruth said, Tinoco may face drunken driving charges upon his release from the hospital.
Tinoco was reportedly driving alone in a 1992 Acura Legend traveling above the speed limit, which is 65 mph, north on 101 around 3:20 a.m., according to Ruth.
As he approached the Donovan Road offramp, the Acura drifted into the left shoulder and Tinoco overcorrected to the right, causing him to lose control and crash into a metal light pole, according the CHP.
The Acura's driver-side door slammed directly into the pole, which may have thrown Tinoco's body to the passenger's side of the car, Ruth said.
Tinoco was not wearing a seat belt, according to the CHP.
“Internally, a crash of that magnitude would displace” organs, Ruth said.
Motorists, who stopped to remove the light pole from the roadway, spotted the wreckage in an embankment, he said.
Santa Maria Fire Department crews arrived shortly after to extricate Tinoco, using numerous tools to disassemble the vehicle.
Due to the severity of the damage, the extensive extrication process took nearly one hour, according to a fire spokesman.
According to dispatch records, the off-ramp was shut down for about two hours.
Had there not been any motorists driving on the highway at the time, Ruth said, the Acura may have not been discovered until daylight.
Luis Ernesto Gomez can be reached at 739-2218, or
lgomez@santamariatimes.comMarch 25, 2007
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