CORRALITOS—A man and a woman of Watsonville were seriously injured on Dec. 17 in a head-on crash between two pickups on Freedom Boulevard.
California Highway Patrol officer Alyssa Gutierrez said Levi Barnard, 39, of Watsonville, was driving a white 2018 GMC Sierra Denali pickup west on Freedom at 4:15pm. For unknown reasons Barnard swerved and smashed head-on into a 2008 GMC Sierra pickup that was traveling east on Freedom with a 35-year-old male driver and a 32-year-old female passenger, both of Watsonville.
The impact hurled both vehicles off the east shoulder with heavy front-end damage that left both people in the 2008 pickup trapped.
Watsonville Fire and Cal Fire firefighters had to use hydraulic separators (Jaws of Life) to pry open the wreckage and free both victims on the 2900 block of Freedom Boulevard.
The Watsonville couple was flown to out-of-country trauma centers by CALSTAR air ambulances.
Gutierrez said Barnard was taken to Watsonville Community Hospital with minor injuries. He was later arrested by the CHP on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Freedom Boulevard was shut down for more than an hour. The incident is still under investigation.
Since the crash, family members of the victims have set up a GoFundMe account to ask others to help them defray medical costs and other expenses for Nayeli, and her partner, Abraham.
Donations can be made at bit.ly/3mp1THo.
