Jacob Farotte faces DUI and hit-and-run charges from July 21
accident
By Jessica Thy Nguyen Special to the Dispatch
Gilroy – Former Palma High School student Jacob Farotte, 20, faces possible felony DUI and hit-and-run charges in connection with a July 21 accident, California Highway Patrol officer Chris Armstrong said.
At 5pm that day, Farotte and four passengers were heading home to Gilroy on eastbound Highway 152 at speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour. Farotte made an unsafe turning movement to the left, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and eventually swerve off the road, Armstrong said.
The vehicle struck a tree and overturned, coming to rest on it’s roof about 10 feet below the roadway, just east of Pole Line Road. Farotte and all four passengers were able to safely exit the vehicle before it burst into flames, Armstrong said. All occupants climbed back up to the roadway and one of them called 9-1-1, but Farotte left the scene on foot.
CHP officers went to his Gilroy residence, made contact with him and brought him back to the scene. He was taken to Saint Louise Regional Hospital, treated for lower body abrasions and released, Armstrong said.
The other four passengers, who remained at the scene, all suffered minor injuries but refused medical aid and were not transported to the hospital.
The District Attorney has not yet filed charges against Farotte, but he could face jail time if he is charged with a felony DUI, Deputy District Attorney Amir Alem said.
