Suspected DUI collision lands Corning man in jail

A 20-year-old Corning man was arrested Friday night on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after he crashed his 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup on Interstate 5, and reportedly fled the scene.

Richard Joseph Rezendes had left Rolling Hills Casino around 10:10 p.m. with two passengers in the pickup, Casey Cleland and Justin Vandoorn, both 21 of Corning, said California Highway Patrol Officer Ken Reineman.

As he was driving from the casino parking lot onto Everett Freeman Way, Rezendes was reportedly driving at a high rate of speed and lost control of the pickup, the CHP stated.

The Dodge crossed both lanes of Everett Freeman Way, traveling eastbound, went through a fence and down an embankment before entering the right-hand lane of southbound Interstate 5, slamming head-on into a 1999 Jeep SUV, Reineman reported.

A CHP officer at the scene of the crash, said casino staff tried to restrain Rezendes, but he fled on foot before CHP arrived.

Rezendes arrived back at the crash a short time later in the company of his parents, at which time he was interviewed and arrested by a CHP officer on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The driver of the Jeep, Alex Kellogg, 27, of San Francisco, suffered minor injuries and was transported to St. Elizabeth Community Hospital where he was treated and released.

CHP said neither Rezendes or his passengers were injured.

Rezendes was booked into the Tehama County Jail on suspicion of felony drunken driving and hit and run causing injury. Bail was set at $100,000.

Ohio woman killed

An Ohio woman was killed in a single-car accident Sunday morning on Highway 36E east of Seven-mile Creek, the CHP reported.

Megan Mackoway, 28, of Dayton, was driving a 2012 Ford Mustang west about 9:25 a.m. when for unknown reasons she allowed the car to drift onto the right shoulder, the CHP reported. She overcorrected, sending the Mustang off the roadway and into large rocks, which caused it to roll.

Although wearing a seatbelt, Mackoway sustained fatal injuries, the CHP stated.