Man arrested for DUI after sparking crash that injured several people in Coachella

A suspected DUI collision in Coachella left several people hospitalized with moderate injuries, including the alleged drunken driver, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The two-vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Van Buren Boulevard and Fiesta Road at 8:38 p.m. Monday. The preliminary investigation determined that a Ford Mustang, driven by Eduardo Ochoa, 25, was moving at a high rate of speed when it collided with a Lexus SUV at the intersection, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department public information officer Robyn Flores.

She said Ochoa and the occupants of the SUV — the exact number was unclear – were hospitalized with what were described as moderate injuries.

Ochoa, a Coachella resident, is expected to be booked on suspicion of DUI when he is discharged from the hospital, Flores said.

She encouraged people to report drunken motorists by calling 911 and providing the suspected driver’s direction of travel, license plate number and a description of why he or she appears to be under the influence.

KESQ