NORTH FORK – A driver is under arrest on suspicion of DUI after crashing his pickup off Road 274 and then leaving the scene.
Just before 4:30 p.m. today, Steven Leon, 29, of North Fork was southbound in a 2003 Chevy Silverado on Road 274 along the north shore of Bass Lake.
According to a witness who was right behind the Chevy, Leon had been tailgating a brown pickup all the way from The Pines Resort turnoff.
Just after all three vehicles passed by the Central Camp Road at about 50 mph, the witness says Leon pulled out across the double yellow lines on a blind curve and passed the brown truck.
When the witness rounded the corner, she saw dust flying everywhere. Leon had crashed off the east side of the road, smashing through trees and huge boulders before coming to rest upside down against a large tree about 60 feet down the steep embankment. The truck’s tonneau cover remained up on the roadway, leaning against a tree.
The driver of the brown truck stopped and climbed down to assist Leon getting out of the wrecked truck. The witness says that when Leon saw that she was calling 911, he took off down the road toward North Fork.
A Sierra National Forest law enforcement officer then made contact with and detained Leon, whose face was covered with blood.
Sierra Ambulance transported Leon to a Valley hospital where will likely need some stitches to his lip before being placed under arrest for DUI.
Road 274 was closed down for about 15 minutes as the Chevy was hauled back up onto the roadway.
