Christian Martinez

christian.martinez@vcstar.com, 805-437-0245

A 20-year-old Granada Hills man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in an injury crash Thursday morning on Highway 118 in Simi Valley, officials said.

The crash was reported at 6:10 a.m. on the eastbound side of the freeway west of Rocky Peak Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The driver who was arrested, identified as Carson Cleeland, told the patrol he was texting as his pickup was traveling in the carpool lane on the westbound side of the freeway and he lost control. The vehicle went over the concrete center divider into eastbound traffic, where it collided head-on with a Nissan sport utility vehicle driven by a 63-year-old Simi Valley woman, the patrol reported.

As a result of the initial crash, a Honda sedan traveling behind the SUV also became involved in the wreck.

The driver of the SUV had to be assisted out of the vehicle and was taken to Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks with internal injuries and lacerations to her torso, officials said.

Cleeland, who was not wearing a seat belt during the crash, and the 23-year-old Simi Valley woman driving the Honda were able to exit their vehicles on their own. Cleeland suffered minor injuries and no injuries were listed for the Honda driver, authorities said.

Cleeland was taken to Los Robles for treatment of his injuries, and once he was medically cleared was booked into county jail on suspicion of felony DUI of alcoholic beverage causing injury, the patrol reported. Patrol Officer Marco Marin said the issue of Cleeland's text messaging would be addressed if the case goes to trial.

His bail was set at $50,000 and he is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Monday. according to jail records.

Three lanes of the eastbound side of Highway 118 were closed for about two hours as the crash was investigated, the patrol reported.