John Douglas, 49, said he was repaying a favor when he became involved in a crash with a Manteca Police SUV at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday that injured three strangers he was driving to their home.

The major injury collision at South Main Street and Moffat Boulevard is being investigated by both the California Highway Patrol and the Manteca Police Department. CHP Officer Angel Arceo confirmed Monday night the directions the two vehicles were traveling, but could not release the names of the injured.

Arceo said Manteca Police Department was responsible for releasing the names of the victims and the drivers in the crash. The Manteca PD had not responded to a request for further information as of press time.

Douglas rode up to the front door of the Manteca Bulletin late Monday afternoon on his 6-year-old son’s bicycle to buy a copy of the paper and read about the crash that totaled his vehicle and seriously injured two of his three passengers.

He related the scenario of events Saturday evening began while he was entertaining a new friend at his home when he received a telephone call from a buddy who had befriended him in the past – asking for a favor in return.

There were three people at the friend’s home on McNary Circle east of Doctors Hospital who needed a ride. Douglas said because of their past friendship, he really couldn’t say no to his request.

Was headed to homes near Bass Pro

Douglas drove from his home on Stewart Street on the east central side of Manteca and picked up the trio, planning to drive them to a residential area near the Bass Pro Shops adjacent to the Highway 120 Bypass.

He said that having just met them, he could only remember their first names.

Douglas said he drove west on Moffat Boulevard and was turning south onto South Main Street on a green light. That was when when he heard a siren and saw the flashing lights on a northbound police SUV that crossed the railroad tracks on South Main Street that skidded into the left driver’s side doors of his white 1999 Nissan SUV.

“I just sat there and watched it happen – we all watched it happen,” he said as the black and white vehicle collided with his car, saying there was no place for him to go.

Douglas said the impact jammed both left hand doors shut and they were trapped in the vehicle. He noted the police officer immediately got out of his patrol vehicle and ran over to their car to see if everyone was okay.

He credited the Manteca firefighters with arriving on the scene quickly and extricating them all from the vehicle that he said ended up by the parking lot near the northeast corner of the intersection.

He said the name of one of his passengers, he later learned, was Bernadine Blevins, 48, who was sitting in the right front passenger seat and complained of chest injuries. She was taken to San Joaquin County Hospital in French Camp.

A 29-year-old man he knew as Jeremy was sitting behind him in the left rear seat and received what he and police described as serious head injuries. He was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto where he was reported to be in a coma and in critical condition in ICU.

He described the other woman in the back seat as being about 33 years old. She had been shook up, but otherwise sustained no visible injuries.

Douglas said he declined to be transported in the ambulance to be checked out by medics because he felt responsible for his passengers and wanted to keep in contact with them to know how they were doing.

He said officers mistook him for a passerby near the scene and he was told to leave the area, and shortly after called back when they realized he had been the driver of the car. Douglas said he stood out in the cold parking lot next to the crash scene for two hours waiting to be interviewed by investigating CHP officers. He said he had left his cell phone at home which made the ordeal even worse and he had no way to contact his four children at home. He said his 6-year-old son wanted to go along and noted he was so glad he wasn’t in the car.

A friend offered to drive him to San Joaquin County Hospital at midnight to check on one of his passengers, but when he got there he realized that not being a member of a family and not knowing the person’s name that he would not be allowed in the emergency room. He said he was at San Joaquin County Hospital for a total of four hours with his friend waiting for him in his car in the parking lot – getting home at 5 a.m. Sunday.

He said he had asked to be checked out at the hospital for any possible injuries and, when he was allowed into emergency, he found the one woman passenger and let her know of his concern. The following day she was transferred to Kaiser Hospital in Modesto, he said.

Still worried about condition of his passengers

Douglas also made a point to find his other passenger at Doctors Medical Center using the last name he was given. He said staff told him no one by that name was in the hospital.

He explained that it has been difficult for him because, although uninjured, he was involved in the trauma of the collision with no real connection with his passengers – only needing to know their conditions and whether they are going to be alright.

“I haven’t heard from anyone including the police. I can’t find out about them because I’m not family,” he said.

Douglas said he recently lost his job at a modular manufacturing company where he was an electrical worker. And his car, that he bought recently, was paid off, he said.

A trip to the two Modesto hospitals was his game plan for Monday night, hoping to see both of his injured passengers. That hinged on whether he could find someone to give him a lift to Modesto, he added.

CHP public information officer Arceo confirmed that there were no drugs or alcohol involved in the crash. He added that when the investigation is completed by his department, both vehicles will be returned to their owners.