Felony charges for Petaluma driver in gruesome weekend crash

The man faces up to eight years in prison for charges that include hit-and-run and DUI after fleeing the weekend crash.|

The 20-year-old driver who fled the scene of a gruesome Petaluma crash Saturday, leaving his badly injured friend behind in the vehicle, faces up to eight years in state prison for charges that include felony hit-and-run and felony drunken driving causing injury, authorities said Wednesday.

Alan Arturo Tapia-Ramirez, of Petaluma, also faces a misdemeanor charge for driving on a suspended license. Because he allegedly committed another crime while on probation, Tapia-Ramirez is being held at Sonoma County Jail without bail. He was arraigned Tuesday afternoon.

He has two prior convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol, one of which also included possession of a stolen vehicle, said Sonoma County Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Staebell.

His previous drunken driving arrests were both in Marin County in 2014.

Tapia-Ramirez crashed a new black Honda Civic on Skillman Lane the morning of Aug. 13. The passenger in the vehicle, Miriam Martinez, 20, of Petaluma, was impaled by a metal fence railing and airlifted to Stanford Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

Martinez is in critical but stable condition, according to medical center spokeswoman Lisa Kim.

CHP Officer Jon Sloat said the CHP would have been alerted if Martinez died at the hospital. The CHP has not been notified, Sloat said.

The car in the crash was not stolen, said CHP Officer Juan Leon.

Tapia-Ramirez is due back in court Sept. 7, where he will enter a plea, Staebell said.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ahartreports.

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