Aptos Man Arrested Following Fiery Highway 1 Crash Sunday Morning

An Aptos man has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he allegedly caused crash Sunday morning that injured two people and tied up traffic on Highway 1 for more than an hour, authorities said.

The accident happened at 7:19 a.m. by the Market Street overpass on southbound Highway 1. One person was flown to a trauma center; the other taken to Dominican Hospital by ambulance, according to the Santa Cruz Fire Department.

One vehicle was badly burned; the other flipped on its roof. All three lanes of the highway were closed for more than a half hour, the Santa Cruz Fire Department reported.

KSBW reported Monday morning that California Highway Patrol officers arrested David Fairbanks, 26, of Aptos who was allegedly drunk when he caused the crash. He was 2001 Mitsubishi with two passengers at 7:17 a.m. when he rear-ended a Chevrolet driven by a 71-year-old San Jose man. 

Ten firefighters, two engines, one truck and one battalion chief were on hand.

The San Jose man suffered minor injuries. The two passengers in the Mitsubishi were treated for moderate injuries at a hospital, KSBW reported.