Suspected DUI crash injures 10 in Fresno, driver in custody

Ten people were sent to the hospital after a suspected DUI crash at Olive and Maple avenues in east central Fresno, a collision that turned a traffic stop into a late-night emergency scene and left investigators sorting out multiple charges.

Police said the crash happened just after 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 17, 2026, after a motorcycle officer tried to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver failed to yield and sped away, officials said, and three vehicles ended up involved in the crash. FOX26 reported the driver then tried to flee on foot before officers arrested him.

Fresno Police Lt. Michael Pierce said the suspect was being treated at the hospital before booking into jail. “Currently, the suspect is in custody for felony warrants, felony evading, as well as nine counts of DUI at this time,” Pierce said. Police said the man remains in custody and will be booked once he is cleared medically.

Ten people, including minors, were taken to the hospital. ABC30 reported that all were expected to recover, and FOX26 said the injuries were minor. Crews worked to clear debris from the area after the crash, underscoring how quickly an alleged impaired-driver encounter can ripple through a busy Fresno intersection and affect bystanders who had nothing to do with the original traffic stop.

The crash landed in a county already dealing with a heavy DUI burden. California Office of Traffic Safety data for Fresno County in 2023 showed 238 alcohol-involved victims killed or injured and 1,516 DUI arrests, numbers that place local enforcement under constant pressure as officers try to intercept dangerous drivers before they cause a serious wreck. Statewide, the agency says alcohol-impaired driving remained one of the primary causes of deadly and serious injury crashes, with 1,355 people killed in alcohol-involved crashes in 2023.

Fresno County prosecutors also have a specialized tool they can use when impaired driving leads to major harm. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office received a $705,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety in November 2025 to support a DUI prosecution team focused on alcohol- and drug-impaired driving cases tied to major injuries or fatal crashes. That funding runs through September 2026, giving the office added resources as Fresno continues to confront the most severe consequences of impaired driving on local streets.