At about 4:27am Saturday, the California Highway Patrol, Turlock Police, Turlock Fire, and American Medical Response responded to a traffic collision northbound State Route 99 at Fulkerth Road.

When units arrived on scene, they found two vehicles involved. One was pulled off to the shoulder while the other had left the freeway off the right shoulder and ended up in the embankment between the freeway and off-ramp.

The driver of the vehicle pulled off to the shoulder was uninjured, while the two occupants of the other vehicle had fled the scene on foot.

Officer Marquez located the two in the 2800 block of Fulkerth Road and stopped them until CHP officers could arrive. The driver was identified as Juan Verdoza, 25, of Lodi.

Verdoza and his passenger both displayed objective symptoms of being under the influence.

CHP officers met with TPD officers a short time later and began their investigation.

Verdoza was put through standardized field sobriety tests and at the conclusion, based on the totality of the circumstances, determined to be under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested.

It was also discovered Verdoza had a $30,000 felony warrant for failing to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in injury or death.

Verdoza chose to provide two breath samples for his chemical test as required by California’s implied consent law, before being transported to Doctors Medical Center for medical clearance.

Additionally, Verdoza was issued a driver’s license suspension order and his vehicle was towed.

Verdoza was then booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or greater, failing to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in property damage, and his warrant.

Verdoza’s passenger was released to his sober girlfriend.