The Chico Enterprise-Record
OROVILLE, Calif. — A crash on Oro Quincy Highway early Saturday morning claimed the life of Oroville firefighter Jeremy Bryson, 25. Bryson was a captain with the El Medio Fire Department, said the department.
Bryson was a passenger in a 1999 Honda Accord being driven by Zachary Johnston, 24, also of Oroville.
At 2:14 a.m., Johnston was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed when he suddenly veered sharply to the left and began to skid. The right side wheel struck a curb, which launched the car into the air and flipped it before it hit a power pole, according to a press release from the California Highway Patrol.
Bryson suffered fatal injuries. Johnston suffered a cracked rib, cuts to his face and bruises.
Johnston was treated at Enloe Medical Center in Chico and booked into the Butte County Jail under suspicion of driving under the influence.
The roadway was closed for several hours while crews replaced the power pole.
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