PITTSBURG — One person suffered major injuries and four others needed medical treatment in two crashes that happened within a mile of each other Wednesday that police said were caused by driving under the influence.
The critically injured person remained in an intensive-care unit Thursday, according to police. The injuries to the rest were considered minor. One of those injured was a driver in the second crash who was arrested on suspicion of DUI, police said.
The two wrecks happened about 6 1/2 hours apart.
A driver also was arrested on suspicion of DUI after emerging from the first crash uninjured, police said.
According to police, the first wreck happened around 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of Harbor Street and Army Street. That crash involved more than one car, police said.
Witnesses told this organization that one vehicle tried to make a U-turn on Harbor Street and was hit by another vehicle going south on Harbor. That collision caused one of the vehicles to hit a third car, according to on-site witnesses.
Two people involved in that crash were treated at hospitals for complaints of pain, police said.
The second crash happened around 11 p.m. at the intersection of Railroad and California avenues. Police said that crash also involved more than one car.
According to police, firefighters freed one person from that accident by using hydraulic tools to cut away a car door. That victim is still in critical condition, police said.
Two others in that wreck had minor injuries.