Nicolas Villela IV Arrested in Fatal DUI Crash on Claribel Road [Riverbank, CA]

Deborah Mendez and Eleyna Alarcon Injured in Claribel Road DUI Crash

 
Riverbank, CA (December 7, 2020) – On Saturday, a passenger died, while police arrested 19-year-old Nicolas Villela IV of Modesto in a DUI crash on Claribel Road and Langworth Road.
 
Moreover, the fatal accident happened at about 10:10 p.m., wherein several people were injured in a two-car accident, east of Riverbank.
 
Villela, on a 2012 Nissan sedan, was driving westbound on Claribel Road approaching Langworth Road at fast speed.
 
At the same time, 19-year-old Deborah Mendez of Riverbank was driving north on Langworth Road in a 2019 Chevrolet sedan.
 
She stopped at the sign and was about to proceed through the intersection when she was broadsided by Villela, who failed to stop at his sign.
 
Then, both vehicles struck a power pole and stopped west of the intersection, on the north shoulder of Claribel Road.

Claribel Road Crash Aftermath

 
As a result, the initial crash instantly killed Mendez’s right front seat passenger. She is only identified as a 20-year-old Oakdale woman. Authorities withheld her name pending the family’s notification.
 
Furthermore, Mendez sustained major injuries. Responders took her by Oak Valley Ambulance to Doctors Medical Center for treatment.
 
CHP Modesto office spokesman Officer Thomas Olsen said Mendez had a broken pelvis, fractured rib, and internal injuries.
 
Meanwhile, Villela had five passengers in his car. Some of them did not wear seat belts at the time of the accident. They sustained minor to major injuries.
 
Similarly, Villela sustained abrasions to his face and left shoulder, the latter of which might be seat-belt rash. Also, Villela complained of back pain.

Villela Arrested Following the DUI Accident

 
After being treated at Memorial Medical Center, authorities booked him into the Public Safety Center.
 
In addition to DUI and manslaughter, Villela also faces a misdemeanor charge of battery on an officer. Police said Villela was uncooperative during his arrest and dug his fingernails into an officer’s hand, breaking skin.
 
Moreover, Villela’s passenger, 18-year-old Ivan Villela, also from Modesto, was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. He sustained major injuries, including a broken right arm and lacerations to his left hand.
 
Authorities took him to Kaiser hospital in Modesto.
 
Another passenger, 18-year-old Chloe Songmouan of Modesto, was also not wearing a seatbelt. She suffered lacerations to the head and said she lost consciousness.
 
Rescuers took her by Patterson ambulance to Memorial Medical Center.
 
Additionally, an 18-year-old passenger, Devin Redden of Modesto, complained of overall pain. He was taken to Memorial.
 
Also, passenger Eleyna Alarcon, 18-year-old of Ceres, was taken to Kaiser by AMR. She was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of crash. She incurred abrasions and complained of leg pain.
 
Finally, Villela’s fifth passenger was identified only as an 18-year-old male.
 
“We don’t know where he was taken,” said Olsen. “With this many trauma patients, sometimes they have to be sent out of the area, such as to Stockton.”
 
Olsen did not know if that was the case with this passenger.
 
This mass-casualty incident drew Modesto and Stanislaus Consolidated fire crews, five ground ambulances, an air ambulance and the CHP.

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We at Sweet Lawyers would like to express our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. Also, we wish the injured people a fast recovery from their injuries.

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