A man from Gilroy was apprehended on Wednesday under suspicion of impaired driving following his collision with a VTA bus. The incident occurred at the intersection of Monterey and Howson Streets just past seven in the evening, according to a social media post from the Gilroy Police Department.
Responding officers discovered that 24-year-old Angel Pacheco had tried to escape on foot. Still, locals had intervened, keeping him at the scene until law enforcement took over. The vehicle had struck the bus while it was stopped to pick up passengers, and he had then tried to escape on foot. Pacheco was experiencing pain and consequently was taken to a hospital alongside two juveniles who were also in the vehicle, sustaining moderate injuries; no other injuries were reported at the scene.
No one on the bus was injured during the collision. Following their initial on-scene assessment, Gilroy Police apprehended Pacheco, linking his actions to alcohol influence; he was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail. The specifics of the DUI charges and the condition of the juveniles are yet to be disclosed.
The full consequences for Pacheco's alleged DUI charge, along with the recovery status of the involved juveniles, will unfold as the case moves through legal proceedings, as Angel Pacheco now faces the ramifications of driving while under the influence. His booking at the county facility signals the start of potential judicial intervention that might spotlight issues of substance abuse, city safety, and the legal responsibilities of drivers.
