A resident of Davis was arrested and now faces several felony charges after allegedly colliding with another vehicle and injuring its driver.
At approximately 3:30 on the afternoon of July 14, Joel Thomas Downing, 39, was driving his 2003 Honda Accord westbound on Interstate 80 near the Pole Line Road overpass in East Davis. At that point, Downing executed an unsafe turning movement. According to CHP spokesman Officer Bryan Konvalin, it has yet to be determined whether Downing was attempting to change lanes or had just drifted out of his lane.
Officers found Downing’s car parked in front of his home with damage evident.
The right front of Downing’s Honda then hit the left front of a 2002 Saturn Vue driven by Susan Abplanalp, 58, of Oakland. Her Saturn sustained moderate damage. Ms. Abplanalp received minor injuries. She declined CHP officers’ offers to call an ambulance. Her passenger, Ashley Weeks, also an Oakland resident, was uninjured.
Before authorities arrived, Downing fled. Alert and observant witnesses, however, took note of his license plate number and called 911. Soon CHP officers arrived at Downing’s Davis residence. They observed Downing’s Honda, its right front fender damaged, sitting in his driveway. They administered a sobriety test on Downing and determined that he was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs.
Downing was then lodged in Yolo County Jail on charges of Felony DUI causing injuries, Felony Hit and Run and Misdemeanor Under the influence of a Controlled Substance.
