One Person Hurt & Another Arrested for DUII after New Hope Crash near Murphy
One person was injured and another was arrested after a weekend crash in the New Hope area just west of Murphy.
On Saturday evening, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle rollover crash in the 8100-block of New Hope Road.
Deputies said an investigation determined that 47-year-old Justin Ryan Gerlitz was driving a BMW sedan when he lost control of the car on a sharp corner about a half-mile west of Lincoln Savage Middle School. They said the car took out a mailbox before landing upside-down in a ditch.
Gerlitz and a passenger identified as "Steven Velasquez" were able to extricate themselves from the wreckage and denied any injuries. The third occupant of the overturned car -- identified as "Michele Gerlitz" -- was removed from the vehicle and transported to Three Rivers Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the report, Justin Gerlitz displayed signs of impairment at the scene and performed poorly in field sobriety tests. He was lodged in jail for Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. The wrecked BMW was hauled to the impound yard.
Rural Metro officials praised a neighbor who helped direct traffic through the crash scene, which allowed rescuers to focus on patient care.
Posted on 3/12/24 5:30AM by Sam Marsh
