An 18-year-old high school senior in Bakersfield, California, is facing DUI charges after he allegedly crashed into a guardrail with a motorcycle. Reportedly, the student was just hours away from walking across the stage for his graduation.
As reported by KERO, the incident occurred at around 2:40 p.m. on Thursday, May 28. Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) officers responded to a crash report near Panorama Drive and Union Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers found graduation caps and gowns on the pavement. They soon learned that two Highland High School seniors had been involved in the crash.
At the time, they were just hours away from their graduation, as it was scheduled for 6 p.m. For obvious reasons, neither of them made it to the stage, but that was the least of their worries.
Crash Details, Driver Identified
Police investigators detailed that the bike had lost control while going southbound. As a result, it crashed into a guardrail, ejecting the driver and a passenger down an embankment.
Both teens were then transported to a local hospital. They had suffered minor injuries. Allegedly, neither student was wearing a helmet, and the driver didn’t have a motorcycle license.
One of them, the alleged driver, was identified as 18-year-old Michael James Smith. Shortly after receiving treatment, he was placed under arrest.
High School Senior Charged
According to Sgt. Rex Davenport with the Bakersfield Traffic Division, Smith was booked into the Kern County Jail. He was charged with felony driving under the influence.
“He was well over the legal limit for somebody 21 years or older. You can’t have any readable level of alcohol as a minor, and he was over the 21-year-old limit,” Davenport said.
If convicted, Smith could face years behind bars. Since it is a felony DUI charge, as it caused injuries, he could spend up to 4 years in state prison and pay a $5,000 fine.
A Life-Changing Event
As said above, the alleged DUI crash resulted in both seniors missing their high school graduation. Such an incident, Sgt. Davenport could have ended badly, and now the driver has to deal with his record affecting his future, effectively changing his life.
“It was raining. Neither one of them was wearing helmets. Just a recipe for disaster,” he added.
The BPD warned students and families to celebrate responsibly to prevent incidents such as the one described above. Sgt Davenport added, “Talking about not drinking underage, not drinking and driving, not driving distracted.”