Overview
- Novato police say they have taken a 17-year-old driver into custody at the hospital after determining the teen was intoxicated in the single-car wreck and have not released the name because the suspect is a minor.
- The car carrying five teenagers veered off a curve on San Marin Drive just before 1 a.m. Saturday and struck a utility pole in Novato.
- All five were hospitalized with major injuries, with two teens in critical condition and two in stable condition, and a 17-year-old passenger died.
- Friends identified the teen who died as Nico Vargas of Rohnert Park, and the school district said four of the teens are current students and one is a former student as counselors support classmates on campus.
- Neighbors described the San Marin Drive curve as dangerous after a similar crash last year, drawing fresh attention to road design and enforcement in the area.