A man suspected of driving under the influence was taken into custody Sunday night following a crash that killed one of his passengers near Lake Nacimiento, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officers say they responded to the crash at around 7:19 p.m. on Nacimiento Lake Drive, west of Fraizer Road.
According to investigators, the driver, identified as Joseph Mitchell Pate, 44, of Paso Robles, was heading westbound on Nacimiento Lake Drive at an unknown speed when the Chevrolet Camaro went off the road, causing Pate to overcorrect and cross both lanes of traffic before crashing into a tree.
A 48-year-old passenger in the back of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, according to CHP. His name has not yet been released.
A 41-year-old Paso Robles man in the front passenger seat sustained minor injuries, and Pate suffered major injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment and arrested on suspicion of DUI, according to a CHP news release, which states the crash remains under investigation.
