Three people were airlifted to a local hospital Sunday evening after a head-on DUI crash near Merced, and the driver was arrested on a charge of felony DUI.

A reported vehicle theft led to a police pursuit and arrest in Merced on Sunday afternoon after the victim actively followed

A 46-year-old Merced man has been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and causing a head-on collision on Highway 140 in Merced County on Sunday night. Two women and the alleged DUI driver, Francisco Nicholas Juan, suffered major injuries as a result of the crash, the California Highway Patrol in Merced said in a Facebook post.

MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A recent spike in violence has prompted the Merced Police Department to increase patrols and expand gang suppression efforts across the city. Police say five people have been shot in Merced so far this month – three of those shootings were deadly.

The Merced Police Department is stepping up gang violence prevention efforts after a recent rise in gang-related incidents.