43
Mahoning grand jury indicts man on DUI, vehicular assault charges
YOUNGSTOWN
A Mahoning County grand jury has indicted a 35-year-old man accused of drunken driving and seriously injuring two people in another car.
Victor Manuel Galindo-Barajas faces two charges of aggravated vehicular assault and one charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that Barajas had a blood- alcohol content of 0.273. The state legal limit is 0.08.
Troopers said Barajas was driving east on Western Reserve Road near New Buffalo Road when he went left of center and hit a vehicle in the other lane about 9:10 p.m. July 25.
Barajas’ car rolled over onto its roof, while the second car, driven by Bruce A. Minotti Jr., 20, of Youngstown, careened into a ditch, reports state. Minotti had one passenger, a 19-year-old Canfield woman. Barajas had no passengers.
All three were taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center. Reports indicate Minotti suffered a broken right foot, broken pelvis and serious injuries to his legs that required surgery, and after the surgery, he was sent to the intensive care unit.
Minotti’s female passenger injured her arm. Barajas did not have serious injuries, but was kept overnight for observation.
The highway patrol said Barajas was arrested July 26, after his hospital release and taken to Mahoning County jail. He remains there on $10,000 bond.
Barajas does not speak English and was not asked to make a voluntary statement, troopers said.
A hospital employee was able to translate and Barajas agreed to submit a blood sample, which revealed his blood-alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit, reports state. When the highway patrol took inventory of Barajas’ car, four unopened beer bottles and one bottle were found, according to records.
At the accident site, Barajas had two pieces of picture identification on his person: a consular identification card from Mexico and a Mexican driver’s license that expired Jan. 3, 2008. Barajas was unable to provide a Social Security number, according to court records.
Barajas was staying at his brother-in-law’s residence in East Palestine for three days before the crash, reports state.
Barajas’ brother told police that Barajas was not supposed to drive the vehicle, but that the keys were left with the vehicle, according to a crash report.