Driver, passenger arrested after DUI hit-and-run crash in Coachella

A DUI hit-and-run suspect and his passenger were taken into custody in the early morning on July 4 after a crash in Coachella.

At 2:20 a.m. Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to Coachella responded to a report of a traffic collision near the intersection of Cesar Chavez and Westerfield Way. Upon arrival and after initial investigation, it was determined that Coachella resident Matthew Hernandez, 36, crashed his white Toyota Corolla into a black Nissan Rogue near the intersection.

Hernandez fled the scene and was taken into custody a short distance away, along with his passenger, 36-year-old Indio resident Jacqueline Reyes.

The driver of the Nissan, the sole occupant of the car, was transported to an area hospital for treatment for injuries sustained in the crash. The condition of the driver was not released by the Sheriff’s Department.

Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and hit-and-run. Reyes was taken into custody on suspicion of public intoxication.

Hernandez and Reyes were both booked into Indio jail. Hernandez and Reyes are free on $75,000 and $1,500 bail, respectively.