DUI rollover crash in Atascadero sends passenger to hospital

July 29, 2017

A Visalia man who was driving under the influence of alcohol crashed his SUV on Highway 101 Friday morning, causing the vehicle to rollover and a passenger to end up in the hospital, according to the CHP.

Around 7:20 a.m., Elden Stephens, 26, was driving a 2006 Chevrolet HHR northbound on Highway 101 north of Del Rio Road in Atascadero when he lost control of the SUV. The vehicle then left the roadway, overturned and came to a rest on its wheels blocking one of the northbound lanes.

One of the passengers in the SUV, a 27-year-old woman also from Visalia, suffered moderate injuries.

Officers arrested Stephens for DUI and and booked him into the San Luis Obispo County Jail. In addition to a charge of felony DUI, Stephens is also facing charges of driving with a BAC of .10 percent or more causing injury and driving without a license, according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Department website.

Stephens remains in custody with his bail set at $100,000.