A 21-year-old Palm Desert man was free on $2,500 bail Monday, hours after his suspected involvement in a DUI crash that sent his car off the roadway, into a ravine, and into a local business sign, jail and police reports indicated.
Sheriff's Sergeant Radek Horkel says the crash was reported around 1:50 a.m., at Country Club Drive and Harris Lane, just west of Washington Street.
"The driver of a silver Toyota Camry was traveling eastbound on Country Club Dr. approaching the intersection with Harris Lane," Horkel said. "The vehicle struck a raised center median, rapidly turned right and drove up a curb and down into a ravine."
At that point, the driver-- identified as Mark Adam Lopez-- continued driving south, eventually slamming into the Sure Save Self Storage sign, according to Horkel.
Lopez didn't stop there, though, according to the sergeant.
Once the car finally came to a stop in front of the Desert Oasis Apartment Complex, Lopez allegedly ran away, into the complex. Police found him there, and arrested him.
"The preliminary investigation revealed that alcohol was a factor during this collision," Horkel said.
Lopez was booked into the Indio jail on DUI and hit-and-run charges, jail records indicated.
