PERRIS: DUI driver, arrested just 2 days earlier, injures 4 in head-on collision

PERRIS – Four people were injured in a two-vehicle, head-on traffic collision Sunday, Feb. 5. The DUI-related accident happened in the 900 block of E. Nuevo Road in Perris.

The driver of the vehicle that caused the accident, who was identified as Arnulfo Barba, 25, of Murrieta, was arrested, cited, and released from jail for a warrant related to possession of a controlled substance and other charges just two days before the major-injury traffic collision.

“(Barba) is suspected to have been driving while under the influence of drugs at the time of this collision,” according to Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Jason Edmondson. “The driver and the three passengers of the F-150 sustained serious and potentially life-threatening injuries.”

“Felony charges will be sought with the Riverside District Attorney’s office against Mr. Barba,” said Edmondson.

An online Superior Court records search revealed Barba has been ticketed no less than ten times since 2010 in Riverside County alone.

The citations were for issues such as speeding, driving with a suspended license, driving without a valid driver’s license, driving without insurance, driving an unregistered vehicle and other various driving related offenses.

Arnulfo has also been arrested for possession of methamphetamine and he has had numerous warrants issued for his arrest for failure to appear on previous court cases.

Arnulfo’s most recent arrest was in Murrieta Friday, Feb 3 – just two days before this accident. He was arrested for a warrant after failing to appear in court on charges of possession of a controlled substance, driving with a suspended license, and driving without registration. Officials cited and released Barba from jail within hours of his arrest.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Perris Police station and other emergency first responders rushed to the scene of the major-injury traffic accident after emergency dispatchers received numerous 911 calls from citizens reporting the head-on traffic collision about 5:43 p.m.

When deputies arrived, they found two vehicles with major damage. Vehicle parts and debris were strewn across the entire roadway, forcing the temporary closure of all lanes of traffic on Nuevo Road.

Firefighters had to extricate at least one of the victims from the wrecked vehicles. A total of four people from the Ford that Barba smashed into were injured in the collision.

“The incident resulted in a total of four injured; one patient with serious injuries, one patient with moderate injuries, and two patients with minor injuries,” said Hagemann. AMR medics transported the four injured occupants from the Ford to a local trauma center for further treatment.

“The Perris Traffic Reconstruction Unit responded to the location,” Edmondson explained after the accident. “All lanes of Nuevo Road between Murrieta and Evans were temporarily closed during this investigation.”

During their preliminary investigation deputies determined Barba was driving westbound in blue Dodge Magnum when he crossed the solid double yellow lines and collided into a maroon F-150 that had been traveling eastbound on Nuevo Road.

The accident is still under investigation.

Anyone with information on this investigation or who witnessed the accident is encouraged to call Deputy Cail at the Perris Sheriff’s station at (951) 210-1000. Callers can refer to incident file number PE170360070 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.