Local News in Brief : Suspected Drunk Driver Held After Crash Burns Passenger

The driver of a car that crashed and caught fire on the Golden State Freeway in Burbank, leaving a passenger burned over 90% of his body, has been arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving, the California Highway Patrol said Tuesday.

The suspect, who gave his name as Felipe Garcia Acosta, 27, of Los Angeles, was in serious but stable condition in the jail ward at County-USC Medical Center, authorities said.

CHP Officer John Meaders said there were two passengers in the car at 10:15 a.m. Monday when Acosta lost control and hit a guardrail near Alameda Avenue.

The three men were injured and were trapped in the car, which caught fire. Meaders said he and a passer-by pulled Acosta and one of the passengers, who gave his name as Enrique Becerra, 30, of Los Angeles, from the car before they were burned.

But the third man, whose identity hasn’t been released, was pinned in the back seat by part of the guardrail, authorities said.

The man was listed in critical condition at County-USC, while Becerra was listed in stable condition.

Meaders said investigators are attempting to determine if Acosta and Becerra gave their real names since they did not have identification and are believed to be illegal aliens.

Meaders and Burbank Police Officers Mark Yamaguchi and James Wilburn were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and released.